An Act of Kindness
by MariEvenstar
Summary: Pre-Hobbit. The story of how Legolas and Tauriel met; how a single act of kindness created something that neither of them could have ever even dreamed about. Little restless elleth tries to deal with the loss of her loved ones and the life as it once was. The elven prince of Mirkwood accepts the challenge and struggles to help her heal her heart and learn to trust in life again.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

The winter was coming to the kingdom of Mirkwood more commonly known as the Woodland Realm. Its inhabitants, the immortal beings of surreal beauty and great wisdom dwelled there under the rule of King Thranduil and his noble line. The King's Halls were the far most magnificent dwelling of elves in the Middle-Earth apart from maybe Lothlorien and Imladris itself.

King Thranduil was a strange combination of wisdom, cunning, coldness and compassion which made him a good ruler of his people, yet he had great sense of his own importance. Many years ago, as they waged war on the fortress of Gundabad, the stronghold of the witch king of Angmar, his wife tragically lost her life and her body was never recovered. There was no grave, no memory of his Queen. Her spirit would be forever trapped. The King grieved for her death greatly for many years yet to pass.

There was no telling what Thranduil would have done upon his return to Greenwood if it weren't for his son who at the time was only a small elfling. He found comfort in him and loved him above anything else in the world. He was a kind father and his son grew up to be a fearsome warrior, bravest in his kingdom apart from the king himself. But alas, Legolas was so much more like his mother in personality. While his father sealed himself in Greenwood, the young Prince wanted to see and learn everything, but his duty to his people and his king stopped him in his dreams at least for a while.

During his reign, packs of orcs, goblin mutants and giant spiders kept coming from the South. Spiders dwelt mostly in the forests of Greenwood which is why the people called it Mirkwood nowadays. Those horrible creatures were easy enough to exterminate, but they kept coming back every time the forest guard thought to be rid of those foul creatures. Sauron's vile slaves were another matter altogether. King Thranduil underestimated their numbers which lead to the greatest catastrophe ever to come in many centuries. A horde of orcs, approximately counted up to forty or fifty of those foul creatures, suddenly came from the south. They were hungry and wild with fury after being unleashed by their master after long years of captivity.

They attacked at twilight, the Sun was setting and the villagers were slowly making their way home. The wild horde of orcs burst from the trees in the matter of minutes and started burning the settlements without mercy. There was screaming as the blood of Eldar was spilled that evening. Very few of those people were warriors; the most dangerous of them was Dehael, the retired warrior who served in the King's armies for many years. His wife Melenath saw their end come nearer and nearer. Dehael ordered her to take their only daughter and run to the forest in the direction of King's Halls, but it was a long run and the time was very scarce.

His little daughter held on to his leg and didn't wish to let go. Dehael knelt down in urgency and kissed her forehead one last time. He gave her his dearest possession for safe keeping, his own magnificent blade. It wasn't too difficult to convince her to run and protect her mother, but Tauriel kept pleading for her father to come with them.

Melenath was resistant to the idea of leaving, but when she looked at her daughter with chestnut red hair and green frightened eyes, she took her by the hand and they raced towards the forest. Dehael's fight gave him honor, but they were greatly outnumbered and he soon fell to his death only hoping that his family was far enough to be found or tracked down.

Tauriel and her mother ran for their lives, the first only armed with her father's sword and the latter with no weapons at all. Two orcs were pursuing them, but they still kept a little advantage. However, orcs were ruthless, but swift and Tauriel was only seven years old at the time, her short feet couldn't make her go any faster. Their enemy kept this chase for many hours, but soon they caught up on them. Melenath knew that if she didn't do something, her daughter would die so she picked the little frightened elfling up and ordered her to climb the highest branch of a tree and not look back..

Tauriel was crying and tried to stay with her mother, but Melenath was firm and soon enough Tauriel obliged and started climbing fast while tears streamed down her face. The clouds which threatened all day with bringing a storm finally gathered and unleashed their contents on the Earth. Tree branches soon became too wet, the dawn was coming so at least Tauriel could see her way as the night was replaced by day, but to no avail. She was exhausted and freezing and soon tripped when she didn't see a finger in front of her.

She hit the ground forcefully, but fortunately wasn't too high to do any serious damage. Her back was now throbbing, her left arm broken and wet grass was freezing. As she was drifting out of consciousness, she heard the evil sound and something moving a few feet away from her. She had no voice to scream, but when the first attacker made his move, her survival instinct took over and she grabbed her fathers' sword. The pain was nothing at that moment and with the last ounce of her strength and reason she pierced the orc's chest and laid completely still while the rest of her reason was slowly fading away along with her consciousness.

The orc of course, totally unprepared for the attack, was an easy target. Not only did he believe his victim to be nearly dead, but also nobody would expect such a little girl to know how to use a weapon of any kind. The second orc however came forth with more caution, but Tauriel was too weak to move a muscle so she was an easy target. He was about to pierce an axe through her skull when two arrows hit him straight into the head and he fell dead.

Tauriel could barely register her savior apart from the fact that he moved swiftly and gracefully toward her as he blew something that she recognized as the horn of the Woodland realm. "Av-'osto, Amin naa sinome." his voice gentle and the nearly unconscious girl felt safe, for the first time since last night. He was speaking elven language. She heard herself mumbling incoherent words and vaguely remembered a soft hand within her own before she blacked out completely.

 _Translations:_

 _Av-'osto. Amin naa sinome. - Don't be afraid. I am here._

 ** _Author's note: I've been in this story for a while, but did not publish it until now. I hope that there are no grammar errors for I revised it multiple times. The vocabulary I used is limited, but I hope that as the story progresses so does my word fond. There are already a lot of chapters ready for sharing. The story follows the pre-Hobbit timeline, mostly Tauriel's childhood and her begginings as the member of the Royal guard. I won't tell you anymore in advance in order not to ruin the plot for you. Sequels are part of the plan, but for now enjoy the stories I decided to share with you. Chapters will grow longer as the plot moves on. Read and review, your advise will be taken into consideration and I will try to make improvements. Thank you._**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

The horns of Tauriel's village sounded as they first spotted the orcs calling for aid, but knowing that when it came it would be too late. Soon word reached King Thranduil that those foul creatures attacked a village near his Southern borders. He was terrible in his wraith as he ordered the forest guard to set off and let no orc walk out of his lands alive for this crime.

However, the King himself did not dwell in the palace for much longer. He and his son Legolas, after gathering their own personal guard, rushed towards the onslaught. It was a horrible sight, so many lost lives, the blood of Eldar spilled without mercy. The forest guard soon gathered the remaining orcs and dispatched them all to their deaths.

Captain of the guard soon came rushing toward his King and after he bowed and got permission to speak, his words were as follows: "Hir Aran, there were no survivors upon our arrival. The orcs started fleeing back to the boarder, but we caught them swift enough." he reported, his face grave, but King's face was unreadable mask as he sighed with grief for this dreadful business. The captain still looked hesitant like there was something else he wanted to say, but didn't dare.

"If there is something else on your mind Laeorn speak now." he commanded as he spotted the captain's uneasiness. From his posture, it was terrible news.

"Hir nin, there is something else I thought would be of interest to you. Among the dead is Lord Dehael, I think he was a good friend of yours as well as the Captain of your guard for a long time." he said not daring to look at his King's face that became very grave at this news.

"That is grave news indeed, such a waste..." commented Thranduil as he reigned in his emotions. Legolas watched him carefully. He never met Dehael, but he was most esteemed among the warriors of Mirkwood. "What of his wife and his daughter? Are they dead as well?" he asked suddenly as coming back through the mist.

"We found no one else in the house, but Lord Dehael and ten orcs who he probably delivered back to their creator. It is possible that they were not inside when the attack started or that they ran to the forest. Do you wish me to dispatch a search party into the woods?" replied Laeorn waiting for new orders.

King nodded and turned to his son. "Legolas." his father said unnecessarily as his son was already on high alert. "You will lead the search party. If they ran they probably took the path back to the palace, find them if you can." he ordered and his son nodded, but before he departed he sensed that there was something he should say. "I will find them ada if they still walk this Earth, but do not raise your hopes too high." His father nodded to him as he watched him depart on his white stallion.

The search was broad and determined, no corner of Mirkwood stood unturned. After several hours, Legolas barely had any hope left. He wandered a bit further east then his men unconsciously when he heard it. Something fell on the ground with a barely audible scream not too far ahead. He made his way jumping from tree to tree when he heard yet another sound, unmistakable sound of sword being stabbed into something. That was when he finally saw it. A little red-haired girl was lying on the wet grass, her face was bleeding from branches he assumed and she didn't move.

One orc was lying next to her dead, and the other one was ready to end her life with his axe. Legolas' fury was terrible as he fired two arrows one after another in the direction of unsuspecting orc's head and as he collapsed, he rushed down to the little elfling laying completely helpless on the ground. He could tell that she was only half conscious, her eyes closed almost completely. She was mumbling incoherent thoughts barely audible. "Naneth, ada you are here..." as she was drifting off and Legolas heard himself murmuring "Av-'osto. Amin naa sinome." that seemed to calm her a little, he took her hand and there was barely any response. Her last coherent thought stunned him "His sword, has to keep safe, don't let the orc have it." He whirled around and an elven blade was pierced through his chest.

He suddenly came to realization that this little elfling killed one of her attackers; she was the one who fell off a tree and lived to talk about it. He was too shocked to move for a few moments before another look at her sleeping form reminded him that she was badly injured and in need of a healer. His horn blasted through the woods. Guard rushed in only few minutes after since they were looking for their lost Prince.

"Your highness, thank heavens we found you." was heard over and over again before Legolas gave out new orders.

"Search this area, if this is Lord Dehael's daughter, her mother might be nearby." he ordered quickly taking off his cloak to cover the little elfling who on top of everything else was freezing. The rain finally ceasing its grip and the sun was to come out again soon. Everybody, but the captain dispersed to look for a second survivor filled with hope after they found the little one still breathing,

"Laeorn, do take that sword out of that foul monster, it is her father's, we would want to give it back to her when she awakens." he said looking at the creature in question with disgust as he raised his little charge from the ground and hugged her tightly to his chest in attempt to warm her up a little.

The captain looked in astonishment as he obeyed his Prince and realized what that entitled; he looked at the little sleeping form in new light as he walked next to his Prince towards his horse. "Your father should be back in the city by now mellon, it is best that we take her there." he said after a few minutes of silence.

The scouts returned with the news Legolas did not wish to hear. Tauriel's mother was not only dead, but orcs feasted on her flash. He was beyond disgusted and forbid them to ever speak of that circumstance again especially in her daughter's presence. They bowed and the party moved fast towards the King's Halls with little Tauriel seated safely in Legolas' arms. She didn't remember anything about her journey, but the hands snuggling her felt like she was somewhere safe and that gave her strength she lacked.

 _Translations:_

 _Hir nin – My lord_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Ada – Father_

 _Amin naa sinome – I am here_

 _Av-'Osto – Do not be afraid_

 _Hir Aran - Lord King_

 _Naneth - Mother_


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Legolas had intention to send the king a word that they were in the healing wards once he brought his little protégée to safety so she can be treated, but his father was one step ahead after the horn sounded in the distance and was waiting for him after mobilizing every available healer in the palace. When his son rushed into the emergency ward and handed the little sleeping form to the closest healer, his father came forth.

"She is fine, the little one is fine. I think she fell from a tree, she is cold and most likely broke something, but I don't think there is anything seriously wrong with her." the words came rushing out before his father had time to speak. Thranduil's heart warmed up a little after this news. "And her mother?" he asked hesitantly, but Legolas' grave face left no room for doubt. After he listened to the report of whereabouts of Lord Dehael's wife, he sighed gravely.

"I dispatched the second orc as soon as he came into view, but they probably killed her and chased the elfling ahead." he said with grave voice as he remembered. He felt very protective of the little girl he saved today. "Who got rid of the first if you only arrived to prevent the second attack?" his father suddenly asked confused at his son's report.

Legolas sat down on a bench and said with no small amount of admiration. "She did, I didn't see it happen, but she stabbed him with this..." he said watching his father's shock in amusement as he picked up Lord Dehaels' blade which most likely pierced a lot of orcs in the old days. "I remember this, I gave it to my friend Dehael when he saved my life." he said thoughtfully examining the handle intently. "You say she killed an orc with this? Are you certain?" he asked doubtful. "There was no one else nearby, if she had someone with her, he would have killed the second one too, but there was no one else. Her mother was further away towards the destroyed village. The elfling was mumbling something about her father's sword so Laeorn took it and brought it here. I think we should return it when she awakens, she certainly has proven herself to be worthy of it." Legolas replied with something like pride. How could he be proud of someone he barely knew?

His father sat by him, much to Legolas' surprise and waited for the news of the little one. He blamed himself for being so careless toward his southern boarders and the impending threat of Morgoth and nothing Legolas said could persuade him otherwise.

After hours that seemed like days, the head healer approached King Thranduil, Prince Legolas, Captain Laeorn and every other guard who was assembled in the room. They all waited eagerly on the healer's verdict about the only survivor of yesterday's dreadful events. "My lords; the little one is running a fever, she probably didn't eat anything for a couple of days, she has a broken arm and her spine is slightly damaged, but all in all I think she fared quite well. Once the fever is down she should heal quickly." she said as she bowed to Legolas and his father and was dismissed.

Everyone sighed in relief; lord Thranduil went back to the palace and asked to be kept informed on the young one's recovery. His son was happy to oblige and went to make further inquiries about the girl's state. The healer informed him that she would sleep for a while and that was for the better until her fever goes down and her spine partly heals. When he asked for permission to go sit by her, healer obliged, but charged him with not waking her little patient. So the next few days, Legolas almost entirely spent at her side, but she didn't move once although according to the healer, her fever was going down which was a good sign.

Ten days passed until little Tauriel opened her eyes and not surprisingly caught a pair of beautiful blue eyes watching her warmly, but with concern. "Am I dead? Did you come to take me to the Halls of Mandos?" she blurted half dreamily as she watched his handsome face smile at her kindly. "No little one, you are still very much alive." he said amused and in wonderment. The girl's appearance was a strange set of chestnut red hair and light green eyes. He admired her hair before, but her eyes made a great contrast with its color. She was beautiful even though she was still a child.

"Prey tell me little one. How do they call you?" he asked curiously rubbing her little hand. She was startled, but did not cringe away. She was busy being entranced by her savior before she remembered what the right thing to say was. "It's Tauriel." she replied quietly, but elves had extra hearing so she didn't really have a need to speak out loud.

"Daughter of the Forest... It suits you Tauriel if you would allow me to call you that." he replied smiling encouragingly to the little girl who now had a name. "You may call me Tauriel if you allow me to call you by your name which you had not yet spoken of." she smiled as she tried to sit down, but failed miserably. Her spine was not broken, but it still ached quite a bit when she moved. "Peace young Tauriel. You have to rest still for a while longer. My name is Legolas and you may call me that if you wish." he said nudging her back to bed as he sat by her side. Tauriel was thoughtful for a moment before it dawned on her like a thunder; "Legolas, you mean as in thee Legolas, Prince of Woodland Realm? I'm so sorry your highness for the way I spoke to you. Goheno nin Hir nin" she said flushing with embarrassment as she tried to sit up once again with the same success as before.

The Prince laughed at her confusion. "Call me by my name Legolas, it sounds better don't you think? When you stand before my father you may greet him formally." he said without thinking of what he was saying, too at ease with the little one to remember to be cautious of his words. "Speaking of which, where are my parents? Did you save my naneth too?" she asked too hopeful for her own good. The grave look on his face frightened her once she understood and her eyes started to fill with tears she did not want to shed in front of her Prince.

He saw her grief and caressed her cheek gently wishing that he could make all those tears go away. She was not in control of herself for long, and when she broke down Legolas found himself hugging her tight and murmuring comforting words, he knew served no purpose. His protective instincts took hold which is one of the reasons her future was to be set near him, where he could watch her, teach her and protect her. In that moment he felt human more than he ever did...

 _Translations:_

 _Goheno nin Hir nin. - Forgive me my lord._

 _Naneth - Mother_


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

The young prince was from that day a regular visitor in the healing ward, as much as his duties permitted him time to do so. For the first couple of days, Tauriel refused to eat anything, even though she was very weak and needed to get her strength back. The healer was worried, but no matter what she said, the girl's answer remained unchanged.

This required a different approach so she spoke to the prince about it. He was grave to hear this, she seemed most communicative with him, but hardly spoke a word to anybody else. He took the tray from the nurse and brought it to his little friend instead. She was always glad to see him, but mostly felt intimidated by everyone else who passed by to try and give her comfort. "I am not hungry." she said for the hundredth time from her seating stance. Much to the healers' numerous objections she sat up as soon as she felt she was capable for it. "You need to eat something mellon, starving yourself won't do good to anyone." he replied while he stared at her little green eyes.

After he received no response, he tried a different strategy. "Tauriel, your parents gave their lives to give you the chance to live. This is a poor payback for their sacrifice." he said with his persuasive voice, he had the feeling that ordering her would not give the desired effect from the little he learned about her during the past couple of days.

"I can't eat; it feels like a betrayal to them, like I am feasting for their death." Tauriel finally mumbled after a short pause. Legolas' eyes were soft. "On the contrary, if you starve yourself to death it will be like spitting on their memory, like wasting their sacrifice. By the grace of Iluvatar, you were given a second chance, make the most of this opportunity." he replied trying to encourage her, he saw that she was thoughtful so he continued: "Here I will make you company if you desire." he said soothingly.

That finally made her give a very unladylike response as she snorted. "Yeah right, you the Prince of Greenwood are going to eat hospital food. That is a amusing indeed." she laughed quietly at the idea, but very much underestimating her companion. He took a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth while raising an eyebrow. She was too surprised to object when he gave her the other piece with his own hand. She ate it and flushed with embarrassment leaving the prince amused.

Her little sense of self-sufficiency made her take the next bite without his help with something that looked like apricot jam. She never tried it before, and was curious to feel its taste. Her new friend only watched her and occasionally took a small bite, her childish wonderment quite adorable.

The next few days continued in same fashion, sometimes he brought her something nice and sweet from the palace kitchens. He watched with satisfaction as the color in her cheeks was gradually coming back and her mood lifted each time she saw him.

Some three weeks after the attack, Tauriel decided to try standing on her own feet while she was left alone in her room. Her left arm was braced, her spine still hurt, but the pain was manageable. It still required some effort to sustain herself, but she managed for an entire hour before someone interrupted her little experiment; she was stubborn and restless. The healer came in to check if she was awake and to inform her that the prince was here to see her.

When she entered the room, she was stunned beyond measure not to find her patient in her bed: "Gracious, what do you think you're doing little lady?" she asked or rather exclaimed as she rushed into the room. Legolas was tagging her feet to see what the commotion was about. "Walking maim do you not see? It's a normal elven activity to use their own feet you know?" she replied with her most innocent voice. "Now do not get smart with me and get back to bed this instant, you shouldn't be on your feet for at least couple of more weeks." replied the motherly annoying healer.

"It's alright Ninenath, I'll get her back to bed." Legolas replied amused as he approached his friend and helped her back to bed where she sat down flushing with anger. "I don't see what all the fuss is about, I walked around for an entire hour before you two came into the room." she said sulking very much like a child.

Ninenath didn't give her any response as she raised her head in disapproval and walked out of the room. "Tauriel you need to take it easy. Nobody expects of you to rise from this bed earlier then you are ready to do so." Legolas tried to explain to her, but Tauriel was wise for her own age. "Yes and what about my expectations? I used to wander every day to the forest and now the closest I get to trees is that window which overlooks the backyard." she said tapping her fingers on the mattress next to her.

Legolas took her by the hand and watched her intently. "And you will be able to again mellon, but first you must heal. You went through a great ordeal, think of this as a short vacation." he replied as he let go of her hand and smiled at her.

"That's not the right word for this. Imprisonment seems more appropriate." she mumbled as she turned her back and laid her head on the pillow. She heard his silent sigh as he caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead. She felt even worse treating her only mellon like this, but the closed space made her anxious. The door closed and suddenly all the tears of frustration that threatened to spill came like a thunder, now also furnished with the guilt for what she said to Legolas; the only one who watched over her and took care of her.

Her eyes closed as she cried herself to sleep.

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon – Friend_


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Tauriel woke up somewhere before dawn as the first light started to rise on the horizon. Eyes red from crying, but at least with heart more calm and will more resolved. Her soul hurt for the way she spoke to Legolas; she wondered whether after yesterday, he would have convinced himself that taking care of such ill-mannered elfling was a waste of his time. She walked about the room quietly and looked into the small wardrobe next to her bed. It contained the outfit she wore when she ran for her life and murdered the orc although that particular memory was fuzzy,

Legolas was the one who arrived literally out of nowhere and saved her from her certain death. He carried her to the city and watched over her. What a poor way she found to repay him. Her clothes were washed and ready for new use.

Her body felt strong so she decided to go see the sky for the first time in weeks. Her spirit ached for freedom that provided the open sky and the trees. The healing wards were placed on the southern lawn of the King's palace. Everyone was asleep so she had very little trouble to sneak out. The light breeze on her face felt like heaven, it was a cloudy day yet the Sun now and then showed its rays. The winter was on the doorstep.

Tauriel considered walking towards the palace, but Legolas was probably asleep and very tired of a spoiled elfling like herself. Instead she made her way to east, the forest which stretched next to the King's palace was inviting. It took her an hour to get there because of her slow step, but she felt like she was getting tired faster than usual. She sat on a log on the boarder of the forest and looked around; she was behind the palace and didn't see her prison from here.

By now, the habitants of the palace awoke and noticed that she was gone. Legolas rose with first sun so when the guard was notified there was no need to wake him. He brought the entire guard to its feet in his worry and was very anxious to find his little charge.

Laeorn was the first to spot her as the guard spread to search for her in and out of the woods. She was sitting on the same log where we left her, looked a little pale, but apart from that seemed fine.

"Good morning little one." greeted Laeorn in elfish. Tauriel didn't spot him, but replied calmly. "Hi."

He approached her and sat by her. "You know the prince is worried about you. He sent the entire squad to search the woods." he said soothingly. He didn't want to frighten her or provoke her to run; not that she would be capable to even if she was in full strength.

"He is worried?" she blurted out doubtful. When he nodded she looked away. "I thought he probably hates me right now." Tauriel said sadly.

But if she was stubborn, Laeorn was not better. "Why would he hate you little one? I don't think he actually hates anyone apart from orcs, goblin mutants and such vile creatures." he replied smiling encouragingly. He wasn't as handsome as his prince, but Tauriel felt at ease with him.

"Then he feels sorry for me. I don't want anyone's pity." she quickly replied playing with her hair unconsciously while the breeze caressed her face.

"We all do little one, but in time people will get to know you and I'm sure they'll love you. You are our little miracle and also a little hero if I might add." he said honestly and Tauriel was touched.

"It's Tauriel. Call me Tauriel not little one." she replied with a hint of a smile.

Laeorn was satisfied. "I am Laeorn, Captain of the Forest Guard, but you may call me Laeorn if you wish." he replied while the elfling studied him carefully. She couldn't tell his age, because he looked the same age as Legolas, but Legolas was only thirty years old which among the elven kind was considered as very young. They stood forever young once they reached a certain stadium of life. "I suggest we go back to the palace and not keep our Prince in distress any longer. If you said something to him, he probably forgot it after the fright you just made him go through." Laeorn added offering her his hand with a friendly smile.

She took it and stood up feeling much stronger on her feet then when she set off. She held her new friend's hand however; it made her feel secure as much as security was at hand in these dark times.

It took half the time to get back than the time Tauriel needed to walk by herself. Laeorn offered to carry her if she felt tired, but she firmly refused so they kept going. Tauriel asked a million questions about the guard and Laeorn was all too happy to answer them in detail. He was patient and therefore she saw what made him the Captain. She admired him greatly and wanted to be as good as a warrior as Legolas or Laeorn were.

When they arrived back to the healing wards, they encountered their prince pacing in front of the stairs with a worry line on his face. When he spotted them, his face was full of relief; Tauriel was still gripping Laeorn's hand. When he let her go she stumbled her way toward Legolas and hugged him around the legs, the top of her head barely reaching his upper waist. He was surprised, but kept her in a firm grip as Laeron went back to his post.

"I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it I swear and forgive me for scaring you, I planned to go back before anyone noticed my absence." she mumbled into his waist incoherently as tears dripped down her cheeks, it felt like she was crying more in these two days than she cried in years.

If he intended to sound angry, all that washed away with her tears and her rather incoherent yet sincere apology. Her grip was very tight, he kissed her chestnut red hair before he released her hands from his legs and slightly bent down to speak to her in the same height. "I'm just glad that you are alright. Do not pull a stunt like this again. Are you going to give me an honest word or do I need to place a guard in front of your door at all times?" he asked as he wiped away her tears. "I promise I won't do it again." she replied as she took control over her voice.

"Good. Wait for me next morning; I'm going to show you one of my favorite places." Legolas said as he watched her face going from shock to joy. It was so easy to make her happy. "You mean, you're going to let me go out?" she asked with clear disbelief on her face.

Her choice of words didn't seem to amuse him. "Tauriel, nobody here is holding you prisoner. I just thought you needed more time to heal, but if you're already going to be reckless, at least do it when I or someone else is around. Don't go behind my back alright? You can tell me whatever you feel." he replied playing with her hair.

"I did say what was on my mind and you were angry with me." she mumbled barely audible to his ears, but he only shook his head.

"I wasn't angry mellon, I was just sad that you thought of me as your jailer rather than your friend." he replied calmly and let her assimilate these words. Before she could apologize again, he took her uninjured hand and gestured her to go inside. "You need your rest now and I have to go talk to my father. I will see you tomorrow morning." he said as he placed her to sit on her bed and kissed her forehead.

"Hannon le" she mumbled as she removed her boots and took the slippers instead. "Le nathlam." he replied before he walked out.

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon - Friend_

 _Hannon le - Thank you_

 _Le nathlam - You are welcome_


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

"Tauriel my father wishes to speak with you." said Legolas when he came the next day as promised and found his eager friend waiting for him. "We'll go meet him first, if you feel fatigued please tell me without hesitation." he said as she walked toward him with big smile on her face.

The questions came easy enough. "What's he like?" she asked curiously. Legolas gave it a thought before he replied. Nobody ever asked him to describe his father. "His appearance I live to your good judgment. For his character I can vouch. There's no fearsomer warrior, you will find him a little cold perhaps, but that's how he is so do not fret. He is not used to be contradicted so do keep your little temper under control. He won't laugh it off like I do." he replied thinking that he satisfied her curiosity, but she continued to ask questions; about his mother and if he had any sisters or brothers and if he pledged himself to an elleth.

He could tell her little of his mother, because his father barely spoke of her. There were no siblings, he was an only child and his heart was still unconquered. It was surprising the amount of questions the little one could voice in one breath.

Soon they arrived inside the palace. The questions stopped when Tauriel's eyes saw the beauty of where she stepped in. "By the grace of Valar. I wonder what is it like living here?" she muttered to herself mesmerized by the walls that shined almost like the night sky. She mentioned all the elfish Gods in her little speech starting from Manvae. Legolas was surprised by everything she knew being so young.

"You might find out sooner than you think little mellon." Legolas replied bringing her out of her mixed thoughts. "I'm not going to live here... Am I?" she asked surprised when she noticed that her friend was serious. He only smiled and pulled her forth to the throne room.

There at the throne sat King Thranduil observing carefully the little creature that walked in holding his son's hand. "Come forth little Tauriel." he commanded softly yet in such a way which left no room for objection. She complied without a word staring mesmerized at his grandness as she recognized where Legolas got his eyes from. The King looked wise as he stared back at her, his white blonde hair cascading down his shoulders.

Tauriel felt like he was reading her soul, but didn't look away until she remembered the proper way to address a king. She bowed as her father taught her. "What is your age child?" he asked coldly as the elfling regained her posture. "Seven your highness." she replied loud enough, but still a little scared.

If he sensed this, he showed no sign of it. "I've heard a great deal about you Dehael's daughter, you used your father's sword and deprived an orc of his miserable life and survived to talk about it. Who taught you how to use a blade?" he continued his questions without a pause. "My father did. He used to say that dark times are upon us and that I should learn to defend myself." she replied little more relaxed, King was only curious that was all.

"Do you know that your father served me loyally for many years?" he asked little less coldly. "Yes, he spoke of you often. I asked a lot of questions and he told me some of your adventures." she replied looking at the King from the corner of her eye. "Prey did he tell you how he saved my life?" he asked as his curiosity peeked.

The surprise on Tauriel's face gave him his answer even before she spoke. "No H-Hir nin, he only said that he once did you a great favor and for that you gifted him with one of your own swords." she mumbled feeling a little embarrassed. "Well maybe I will tell you that story one day, but now is not the time for it. Has your father taught you to use any other weapons?" he continued his inquiry.

Tauriel sighed as they moved to a warmer topic. "He started to teach me archery this summer. He said that I had a good eye, but a short patience." she mumbled blushing a little at revealing her own disgrace. "Considering your age he could have hardly expected otherwise. I never heard of someone being trained so early and especially not of a female child." he commented thoughtful. Tauriel could not see Legolas, but she felt him laugh at her last statement. If his father weren't here, she would have stepped on his foot.

"You did not have any other relatives apart from your parents?" Thranduil inquired further. "No; not that I know of." Tauriel replied sadly.

The King straightened up and Tauriel felt like she was expected to pay even greater attention to his highness. She looked at him expectantly. "You are my friend Dehael's daughter and for that reason I open you the doors to my palace. Once you are fully healed, you shall come to live with us here. My son requested to be in charge of your education and I granted him that permission on the condition that it doesn't interfere with his duties. Now I want you to tell me if you ever thought of what to do with your life?" he proclaimed and waited for her answer.

A lot of emotions flooded her sanity at this moment. Gratitude and love, she blinked in order to stop the tears that wanted to come out from emotion. "Yes I did." she said uncertainly as she looked for encouragement and she saw that he was waiting. "I want to join your guard your highness." she said firmly, but still fearful that her request would not be granted.

Thranduil pierced her with his eyes surprised as he exchanged wondering glances with his son who was equally if not more stunned by her request. "You amaze me little one. Most girls would say that they want to be healers or to get married, yet here you are talking of weapons and guards." he replied with undisguised wonder. "I want to serve you like my father before me Hir nin. My father once said that if he had a son, he would give him to your service, but unfortunately he only had me and I wish to follow his footsteps, to learn how to fight properly. I already proved that I fear not death. Give me an opportunity to prove myself. I will work harder than anyone else the guard trained and if I fail, I fail, but that will be because I was not good enough not because I didn't have the courage to try." she replied making the longest speech she ever made, but her desire to be a warrior was far greater than her fear of the King.

The king was too abashed even if he didn't show it. Her passion gave him enough proof that she was brave like her father. He didn't doubt her willingness.

"I suggest little Tauriel that we leave this topic alone for a while. For now you will dedicate your time to heal and after that I want you to study hard. I see that your father has taught you already a lot of things. I will not object if my son or any of my guards want to continue your sword and archery lessons, but you are too young to be trained as a soldier. Study hard and don't disappoint me little one. In return, I will consider your request when the time comes, if you show patience I will grant your request. Am I understood?" he said leaving no room for contradiction.

Even if she dared, Tauriel was satisfied to object. She knew she was too young to train now, but the King didn't refuse her request and she was going to do her best to prove him right. "Thank you for your kindness Hir nin. I will work hard not to betray your trust. Guren glassui!" she said as she bowed once again and was dismissed from his presence.

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Hir nin – My lord_

 _Guren glassui – Thank you from my heart_


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Wind blew by as a noble white horse galloped in great speed through the woods while his hooves made the dirt rise behind him. Two strong arms encompassed a smaller creature that sat out front while the chestnut red hair blew in all directions. Little elleth's eyes glimmered with excitement as the trees became almost a blur.

Much sooner then she would have liked, her companion detained his horse. "Tolo little mellon, we're almost there." he called smiling at her childish disappointment. "Don't fret, we still have the road back home." he added enveloping her safely in his arms. His hands were under her knees while she held on tightly to his neck, half turned toward the front.

"I can walk you know." Tauriel puffed in annoyance, but Legolas just grinned in amusement. "Yes, but you cannot climb. I know you already feel like you can, but let's not push it." he soothed her temper while he made his way up the tree climbing to the top.

His little friend watched in excitement, she felt better every time she was on the move for her feet were restless since she was old enough to walk by herself. Many times she would wander out in the forest and fright her parents, but they always found her on a tree or next to it. She tried to call back their faces, but to no avail. Perhaps she was just tired.

When they reached the top and Legolas allowed her to sit on his shoulders for better view, Tauriel's breath stopped staring mesmerized at the scene before her. The sea of trees, golden like autumn spread before her and the view ended up by a lake and beyond laid a mountain. It rendered the little talkative elfling speechless.

"I wish I could see the west seas one day and compare it to this sight." she sighed holding tightly to her friend conscious that if she were to fall now, she would probably receive the invitation from lord Mandos for an eternal visit.

"I'm sure you will little mellon. Do not forget we have eternity before us." Legolas replied smiling at her fascination.

Tauriel rested her head on top of his blonde hair contently. "Mellon. Do you ever come here at night? Do the stars look even more beautiful from here?" she voiced her thoughts after a few minutes of contemplation.

"I did, a couple of times. You are right they are truly magnificent." he replied remembering his first gaze at the stars from this position.

Tauriel was quiet for some time. "Will you take me one night so I can see them too?" was her eager reply while keeping her eyes closed and imagining the beauty of it all.

"Of course, as soon as we find an adequate moment." he replied happy to share this with someone who knew how to appreciate it properly.

"Gwestol?" she asked wishing to see them now, but it was early afternoon and she knew that as a prince he had other tasks to perform during the day rather than sit here in a tree all day long.

His strong hands took her off his shoulders and into his arms again. "Gweston mellon, but right now we should get back. Poor Ninenath is probably pacing from worry and I have some errands to finish before the light is out." the prince smiled kissing her forehead before he made his way down.

As soon as he placed her on his horse again and sat behind her, she felt inclined to ask him another question. "Are there stories behind the stars?" she asked with her mind far away.

"Yes, they are mostly legends, but to get the full impression I will teach you when I take you to see them. You will find that every star, every planet and every constellation have their own meaning." he smiled wondering how much information could this little one take in such short time.

She searched the sky even now when it was too early to see the white lights glimmer on it. The light in her eyes when she did so made him smile. It was hard not to find them as fascinating as she did when one looked at her undisguised wonderment. At least he knew what would her favorite subject be when he started with her lessons.

* * *

How dull can one's life be? Every day in the healing ward seemed like eternity no matter how often Legolas or Laeorn came to visit her occasionally to take her for a short walk. The nights were most irritating and most terrifying as well. The nightmares seemed to get worse rather than better over time. Mostly she remained silent not trashing about or shouting.

Sometimes however, she would make noise and Ninenath would try to comfort her, but Tauriel found no peace in that elleth no matter how kind and patient she was. It rarely happened that she woke someone up, but that didn't stop her from jerking awake while cold sweat appeared on her breathless face. There were no tears, just fear. There was no recognizable face, but she kept quiet too ashamed to admit that her own parents' faces had faded from her memory as soon as they were no longer here to protect her. One moment she had a family and the next it was taken away from her. She grieved in silence, but no matter how miserable she felt, the tears would not come. It was like she was numbed not to feel any pain.

* * *

It felt like months rather than weeks before she was discharged from Ninenath's care. Finally, she would have something to occupy her mind and her body. Legolas showed her around the palace once he settled her in her new bedchamber. The caves that lead to king's throne room were the sight that was dearest to her heart.

Tauriel's room was not large, but it was comfortable. She knew she wouldn't spend too much time in it anyway. Her wardrobe was filled with both her usual hunting gear and dresses she would probably never wear. She just wrinkled her nose at them while her friend showed her where everything was. Next to the wall in line with the window was a small vanity table. It would be used only when she braided her hair.

The tour of the rest of the palace didn't seem to amuse her for long unless there was something odd or something beautiful. Someone would think that an elfling would prefer kitchens over stone caves, but that was not the case. When her friend asked her about what meal she preferred, there was no ready answer. "I've never paid much attention to what I was eating. My naneth always had a ready meal, but I always considered what would I do afterward rather than pay attention to its taste." she said sadly wishing she was more appreciative of her mother's cooking skills when she was alive.

"I do like fresh fruits of all kinds. I used to pick them myself whenever I would wander by myself which was often." she said remembering its sweet taste. Legolas chuckled at this, what kind of elfling didn't pay attention to food?

"Why does that not surprise me little mellon? You are a curious little elleth. You always manage to surprise me." he said cheerfully while leading her to show her the dining hall. It was huge and light as expected, but Tauriel's eyes always glimmered when they saw anything that shined.

Now was the time to inform her that this would be her new place for eating which he did with a smug look on his face. Did he just say that she, a common Sylvan elf with no family would sit by king and his son during their meals? The mere thought made her nervous. "Why are you suddenly afraid of sharing a meal with your prince? Have you not done it before?" he asked teasing her.

"Are you sure your father will want someone like me to sit at his table?" Tauriel asked uncertain too anxious for her own good.

Legolas just gripped her hand in reassurance. "My father's manners are cold, but he has a good heart even though he doesn't show it often." he replied smiling at her uneasiness.

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Will I be obliged to wear a dress during the meals?" she voiced her next worry out loud.

Her blonde friend made an effort not to laugh. "No, not unless you wish to of course. You know most elleths would not lose an opportunity to wear one and look pretty?" he replied with a wide grin on his face. Her presence brought light back to his life.

"I was always a freak." she replied not completely serious, but without her usual cheerfulness.

Legolas sighed and detained her while they were walking through the entrance hall so he could lower himself to her height and look into her eyes. "That is not what I meant little mellon. You are not a freak, you are simply special and I love you for it. Don't ever change for the sake of what others may think or expect of you." he said brushing his finger playfully across her small nose.

She giggled and he rose placing her little hand back in his own. "I think that puts an end to our tour for today. Do you feel tired?" he said looking around trying to remember if he missed anything that was important.

"I am not tired. You didn't show me the guard wing yet." she replied disappointed that it was already over and she wasn't ready to stop yet.

Many emotions passed through prince's features. "And why would you want me to show you the guard wing?" he asked tempted not to take her there, but he knew that whether he agreed to it or not, she would find a way to see it if she really wanted it and she did want it. The thought of that place made him picture his little friend in battle one day which made him uneasy.

"I want to see where Laeorn resides. What if I am in trouble one day and you are not around?" Tauriel countered innocently. The main reason was that she desired to see it, but this one would convince her friend faster than any other. He saw the justification behind her words, but still he rebelled against letting his friend join the guard one day though she'd be the one with final say on the matter.

"Very well little mellon, I will show you." he replied sighing in resignation knowing that he had no valid reason to refuse her request.

Guards resided on upper floors on the opposite side of the king and his son. Legolas walked slowly giving his friend time to grasp everything in though corridors weren't a sight to behold like the dining hall and the king's wing.

Still, Tauriel gazed with such excitement imagining herself in some years. The thought of living here didn't give her as much joy as the thought of what she would have to become in order to live here.

They passed the guards on their way, they all greeted them. Occasionally, the prince would stop to exchange a few words with a guard he was better acquainted with than others. Tauriel's eyes wandered through the faces of each of them. They all smiled at her warmly, some greeted her with words. She tried to give a reply to everyone, but lost track if that was successful for there were no small number of guards in this place.

The last they spoke to was someone named Beleorn, who was in charge of training new recruits for the king's guard, but Tauriel didn't have time to ask any questions before he informed Legolas that captain was currently in his bedchamber. Little elleth turned around to see Beleorn gazing after them. He gave her a smile and a wink. She'd remember to find him some other time.

Once they reached Laeorn's door, Legolas knocked three times. There was some hustle inside before a serene looking ellon came and opened the door to see who it was. As soon as he saw the young prince he opened the door wide. "Ernil nin to what do I own this pleasure?" he asked spotting the elfling who stood next to him gazing around.

"Quel andune little mellon. Tolo ned." he smiled letting Tauriel pass by him trying to decipher why the prince seemed uncomfortable. "Quel andune Hest. I'm giving Tauriel tour of the guard wing and she wished to see where you reside." Legolas replied watching as little elleth took a peek at every corner of the room.

Laeorn stepped outside sensing that Tauriel shouldn't hear what would come next. "I see. So why the troubled face mellon nin?" he asked keeping his tone hushed.

The prince merely sighed. "I didn't wish to take her here, but she insisted. When she spoke to my father he asked her what profession was she inclined to." he started not sure if this is something he would share with a living soul.

"And she replied that her wish is to join the guard yes?" Laeorn assumed out loud while the prince looked at him surprised giving him an answer without having the need to voice it. "Do not be so very surprised that I know this Hir nin. When we spoke for the first time, first she inquired about you and afterwards asked me a million questions about what I do. I saw it in her eyes, she will make a skilled warrior one day." he continued keeping a grin off of his face.

Legolas sighed, so she already made inquiries about it. Why did that even surprise him. "Yes that is what worries me." he said troubled.

Captain naturally had guessed this. "Tauriel won't be an elfling forever mellon. Her father was one of the bravest warriors I met, it's in her blood." Laeorn tried to comfort him without success.

"Nevertheless, she should learn to defend herself. Think about it. If she hadn't stabbed that orc, she would have been dead before you had time to come to her aid. Face it, our new mellon is stubborn, let's not be the ones who stand between her and her dreams." Laeorn continued finishing his speech in a lighter mood.

Legolas almost grinned. "Yeah you're probably right, but still I don't have to like it." he sighed with resignation before his eyes rested on the elleth in question who was in process of admiring captain's used silver daggers.

"When do you think I'll get to use one of those?" Tauriel asked as she noticed their presence, she left them to whisper without interrupting.

Even captain grimaced at the idea of an elfling using those. "I'm afraid not for many years mellon, you will need to be a little older for those." Laeorn replied softly grinning at her disappointed look.

Legolas stroked the top of her head while many disturbing images passed through his mind. Two ellons exchanged knowing looks, even the prince lost hope of dissuading his little friend from the course she set for herself.

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Gwestol? - Do you promise?_

 _Gweston – I promise_

 _Quel Andune – Good afternoon_

 _Tolo ned – Come in_

 _Hest – Captain_

 _Nin – My_

 _Ernil nin – My Prince_

 _Hir nin – My lord_

 _Naneth - Mother_

 ** _Author's Note: Thank you for all your reviews, they give me another motive to post more chapters. As I said on the start, I have many which are already ready for publishing. I found a lot of stories with the similar plot, but they all fail to portray Tauriel as I always imagined her when she was an elfling. We all agree that she was frightened after the loss of her parents, but she was also curious and hyperactive which we can see even in the movies only in the lighter version after six hundred years of life. Keep reviewing and if there is anything you might find wrong or insufficient in my story, please let me know. I will keep it in mind for my future chapters and try to remedy it as much as possible. Keep reviewing and thank you._**


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Days passed alike, it was both beauty and the curse of their immortal life. Only very young elves still admired every change of season. The temperature was dropping with each day, somebody equipped Tauriel's wardrobe with warm yet comfortable clothes. Legolas tried to keep track of his little friend with tried being the key word, but the restless elleth could not stay in one place for long.

That wasn't completely true. She could sit calmly through all the lessons he could give her. She was devouring his every word with same eagerness she had during her wanderings. No matter how much he told her, she always had more questions. Her eyes sparkled with special interest when history was concerned. Many elflings despised history; even the prince himself learned to appreciate it when he was much older. When he would give her a book, she would wander out in the forest and read it on high branches of trees under the light of the sun.

Even when reading, it was hard to keep her indoors. If she could not be found, they always knew to look around in the trees. At least she stayed close to the palace when she was alone, many creatures lurked in dark corners of the forest.

Sometimes Legolas was gone for days when they would spot a spider's nest in the far corners of the woods. Captain was usually with him so both her friends were gone. First time he was away, Tauriel decided to amuse herself in the stables. Her first thought was to find her white friend who was eager for company always. She petted his nostrils and fed him while the horse puffed in contentment.

When her fury friend finally decided that he had enough attention for today, Tauriel looked around for another amusement. All horses looked alike when she passed them so it was hard to pinpoint any in particular to gift him with some special attention. In the furthermost, most secluded part of the stables she found something unexpected. Her eyes were wide with disbelief. "Is that an elk?" she heard herself ask out loud though there was no one in here apart from herself or so she thought.

"It most certainly is." replied a familiar voice from behind. She blinked and turned around facing no other then her king.

"Hir nin, goheno nin I did not see you there." she said with a slight bow still in deep contemplation about why an elk would live in the stables like a horse.

The king just dismissed her apologies with his hand. "I see you have found my friend here." he said tapping a beautiful animal which stood there and seemed content to be petted like a horse.

"He is yours?" asked Tauriel looking at it with undisguised wonder.

Thranduil paid a little more attention to her voice than usual. "Yes. Legolas brought him from the woods when he was no more than a fawn. We had previously killed his mother during our hunting trip and my son didn't allow the hunters to harm this one so we brought him here and he grew to be a fine riding steed." he replied watching the little elleth process this information.

"What's it like, riding an elk I mean? Is it like riding a horse?" Tauriel asked forgetting about her uneasiness around the cold king while her curiousness prevailed.

"I don't know, I never tried to compare the two. It is similar I guess." he replied calling the elleth to come closer with his hand.

She obliged without hesitation and raised an arm stroking her newfound friend. "Is that something I might get to experience?" she asked while the eager elk licked her nose. She giggled with joy placing both arms around his strong neck.

"Maybe I will take you one day, but not before this snow melts down." he replied coldly, he was always cold and expressionless, but not as frightening as Tauriel thought before today.

"Hannon le." she replied yawning into elk's neck. This gesture did not go unnoticed by the cold king so he approached and took her hand.

"You can play with him whenever you wish, but now is the time for little elflings to go to bed." he said leading her out the stables and back into the palace.

Tauriel just waved goodbye to her elk friend and came along knowing better than to quarrel with the king. "What happens when you wake a bear from his winter sleep?" the question came easy enough while the cold king looked ahead as they walked.

Amazing, no matter how tired this elfling was, she never stopped asking questions. "I wouldn't advise you to test that theory unless you have a death wish." he replied curtly, but Tauriel was not dissuaded so easily.

"Have you ever thought about finding a mate for your elk?" she asked the next thing that popped to her little mind.

He looked at her half-annoyed and half curious. "No, I did not plan to keep him in the first place, but Legolas was an elfling so I didn't say no and he resulted useful and swift." he replied expressionless when they reached Tauriel's room.

"In you go, posto vae." he spoke before she could voice another question.

"Hannon le Hir nin." she replied surprising him when she stood on her tiptoes and placed a short kiss onto his cheek. She was gone long before he realized what happened.

He just shook his head and proceeded to his chambers trying unsuccessfully to banish that image from his mind, but to no avail.

* * *

The next day was almost entirely used to befriend the pretty elk; Tauriel would ask her friend why he didn't ever tell her that there was an elk inhabiting his stables. Only time when she left her furry companion was for her silent meal with the king. Neither of them seemed incline to speak, but this time the elleth felt more at ease. His son should be back in the evening, he had been missed even though his absence was not longer than two days.

Before the sun set on the horizon, Tauriel was already peeking outside for any sign of her friends. It was too freezing to sit there for long, but she enveloped herself in her cloak and sat on the lowest step of the stairs with her back resting on the stone fence. Sun went down and the moon came out, but not even the starlight could calm her restless spirit.

Many hours passed, but still she sat there. Guards changed shifts and those who were off duty started going to their beds, but the half-sleeping elleth still held her ground. She willed herself to keep her eyes open, but the exhaustion was kicking in. King Thranduil also made his way to his bedchamber and almost passed by without noticing her, but he turned around once he heard her silent breathing.

"Still awake little one?" he asked standing before her not really expecting her to rise. She was resting her head on her knees half incoherent.

"He said he would be back tonight. Must stay awake." she mumbled for herself barely acknowledging that there was someone with her in this cold corridor.

The king just sighed and lifted her into his embrace. Her hands unconsciously wrapped around his neck and her feet were around his waist while his skilled hands supported her weight. "The hour is late, come along little one. You may see my son when he returns." he chanted while she rested her head on his left shoulder already asleep.

It was a long time since he carried someone like this in his embrace. He stroked silky chestnut red hair while making his way to her bedchamber.

He knew that she was asleep, but she kept a firm grip on him. It took some effort to release her hands from his neck to place her to bed. He removed her shoes and drew a blanket from underneath her.

Once he covered her sleeping form, he sat by her for a while. She was restless even when not awake. He wondered what nightmares tormented her mind, but didn't have a hard time to guess. He suddenly realized that this could have been his son if he had decided to follow his wife to the halls of Mandos. That thought made him grateful that Legolas gave him strength to stay on this world. This little girl was not so fortunate, he contemplated what would a loss of parents mean to someone so little.

A fresh wave of grief hit him, not for his friend, but for his daughter. She had his eyes; it was like Dehael watching him through her face. In order to stop such troubling thoughts, he made his way out of her room.

 _Elven translation:_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Hir nin – My lord_

 _Posto vae – Rest well_

 ** _A/N: smiles the answer to your question is yes, this will eventually evolve into their romance though that won't happen before the sequel. This first part of the story is about Tauriel's childhood, her gradually developing bond with the prince and the king and her very early adulthood. I won't forward anything else because that would ruin the surprise. I will only tell you that the first sequel will follow the Hobbit era with my variations naturally. Thank you for reading and keep reviewing. Enjoy this new chapter. 3_**


	9. Chapter 9

_Dear readers, thank you for dedicating your time to reading and review my little mixture of drabbles (or at least that's what they appear to me on the very start). Enjoy the new chapter. :)_

 _SweetsumrRain - It is an interesting inquiry you make indeed and I don't think you're the only one with such a question. I mostly held to the movies when I wrote the part about the differences between genders because as far as I saw; the only female guard who ever made her appearance was Tauriel. Perhaps Peter Jackson simply failed to show us any other elleth as a warrior, but I truly have no clue. I did not and have no intention to undermine female value or anything of the sort. I'm simply trying to picture a practice held between elven kind. Female warriors are an exception, I never saw one described by Tolkien. The fact that they do not have the custom to fight doesn't mean that they are not capable to learn. If Tauriel is to be the first to ever fight her way through, the fight would be as twice as difficult and I am trying to show you that she is a fighter. As you were able to read through my recent chapters, guards are not opposed to the idea of training an elleth. In fact they are addiotonally motivated by the challenge. The king opposes to train a small elfling and the prince does not wish to teach his friend how to fight because he is afraid to see her in battle. Anyway, all this will be better explained if you stick with me and read on. My point is that I intentionally described such a situation without women as soliders. Thank you for your review and feel free to ask any questions. :)_

 **CHAPTER 9**

The time of the night was late when a division finally arrived back from the forest. Injuries were minor, bodies were frozen from the cold, but their spirits were high as they marched back into the palace. It all occurred around the same time when Thranduil silently walked back towards his private chambers from Tauriel's room. He intended to go to sleep, but the arrival of his son changed his mind so he stood patiently in the corridor close to his room waiting for him to come upstairs.

Legolas didn't make him wait for too long. The look of surprise on his face made it clear that he was not expecting to see his father tonight. "Ada; still awake? You weren't waiting for me were you?" he asked as he stood a step away from him.

Thranduil observed his son closely; he seemed to be undamaged as he hoped for. "No I was going to sleep when I heard you enter after placing your little restless friend in her bed; I might add." he replied rising an eyebrow at his son. "You will do well in the future not to make promises you might not be able to keep." he added while his son looked at him perplexed.

"What promises? And what was my little restless friend doing awake until this hour of the night?" he asked confused trying to place a meaning to his father's words.

The king observed him smugly. "You promised her you would be back in the evening and she sat there in the entrance hall waiting for you for who knows how long. If I hadn't spotted her while passing to my quarters, she would have stayed there all night long. Now go clean yourself up and get some rest, you look terrible. Amends can be made in the morning." he replied turning around and walking to his own chambers not giving Legolas time to answer.

* * *

The morning came soon, Tauriel slept through breakfast. When she woke up, she tried to remember how she got to bed. King's vague distant voice came to her incredulous mind. How strange; the always cold elf was worried enough for someone like her to take her to rest.

Tauriel was still wearing her cloak, but her boots were stripped. She removed the first and put the latter back on her feet rushing to fix her hair. Did Legolas arrive last night at all? Why did she have to fall asleep? She spent a great deal of time indoors during this cold season. Nobody actually forbid her to go outside, but it was freezing enough to make her wish for the warmness of the palace before too long.

She made her way to see Legolas, perhaps he was in his room. The trip there was pointless, when she knocked there was no answer and her face fell so she made her way to the library instead. A good book should keep her occupied until somebody brings her news from her friend.

It was a difficult choice, but she finally picked one about herbs trying to refresh her knowledge. Her mother knew a lot about the use of herbs, but her daughter didn't have much patience for it.

On her way back to her room while having her nose stuck in reading, which was a bad idea for she barely saw where she was going, she bumped into something or rather someone. She had hoped for Legolas, but was not disappointed to see Beleorn instead. "Goheno nin, I wasn't looking where I was going." she said apologetic.

The ellon with light brown hair just grinned, he had a kind face. "Obviously. What's so interesting that it can't wait for you to sit down before reading it?" he chuckled while she handed him the book. "Ah the secrets of herbal medicine." he commented gazing back at her, but she was observing his bow instead. Curious, how a weapon seemed to interest her more than a book.

"Can I have a closer look for a moment?" she asked hopeful. He handed her the bow without any kind of hesitation.

"Have you ever seen one before?" he asked merely curious.

Tauriel observed every inch of it before she replied. "I did. My father made his bows from different kind of wood, oak I believe and they were longer and heavier. He made one for me as a gift for my last birthday, it was small, for my use only." she replied surprising him beyond measure even though he was trained to keep his astonishment at bay.

"Why don't you go grab it and we can see how good you are?" he asked trying to cheer her up, but when a strange shadow of grief passed through her features, he wished he hadn't spoken.

"I wish I could, but it probably burned down with our house. My bedroom was first in flames." Tauriel replied sadly handing him back his weapon and taking back her book. "Anyway I should get going, I'll talk to you some other time." she replied trying to lift her spirits while walking away. "I'll be looking forward to it." he called after her, she just turned around, waved and disappeared around the corner.

Somewhere half the way between the stairs and her room, the book stopped being amusing enough for her liking. She started to consider her alternatives, they weren't numerous. It was not surprising when she decided to take her book outside and search for the herbs in the pictures. It was cold, but the sun was warming her up a little so she managed to stay a full hour before it became too cold.

What exactly was she trying to find anyway? All the plants have withered in the cold; she would have to try in the spring when they started growing again.

Her energy didn't seem diminished by the exercise, furthermore it seemed refilled. She was bored beyond measure so she made her way to the stables.

She stood outside for a few moments longer admiring the scenery, but the cold made her turn around faster than she wished for. Before she made half a step she came face to face with a noble white steed's head. How did he sneak up on her? "By the Valar!" she exclaimed loudly placing a hand on her chest to steady her frantic breathing instinctively taking a step back. Her book fell to the grass floor and fortunately stood undamaged for the ground was frozen not muddy.

Legolas just finished feeding his horse. He only turned his back for a moment when he heard him gallop outside puffing contently. "Adulen." he called though not forcefully. Where did he go? His answer was given when he heard Tauriel's loud exclamation from outside. So that's why he ran out so eagerly. She must have been spoiling him while he was away. She should have known better.

He eagerly made his way to her; he couldn't find her anywhere. "So this is where you reside little mellon?" he said when she was in view though breathless. Her face was full of shock before she heard his voice, then it turned to joy. Before he realized what happened she had jumped into his open arms excitedly. "Hello my little restless mellon." he said kissing her cheek softly while holding her tight.

"You are freezing, how long were you outside?" he asked disapproving when he sensed her frozen skin, but she just chuckled.

"A couple of hours; at the very most. Before we enter can I retrieve my book? It has fallen upon my close encounter with your furry mellon over there." she replied cheerfully. The entire bad mood was gone once she spotted him.

He made no move to let go however. He reached for the book himself before he made his way back inside catching his steed's jealous stare with a grin. On his surprise, Tauriel didn't protest when he carried her inside.

"So have you missed me?" she asked innocently smiling from ear to ear. Legolas couldn't help, but laugh at her constant eagerness.

"Yes I did actually. There was no one to ask me a million and one questions, some of which I would never know how to answer probably. "he replied cheerfully while he made his way towards the library.

Tauriel didn't seem offended at all. "Did you kill all the spiders? Who killed the most?" she continued her line of fire while Legolas just chuckled for himself.

"I did actually and yes they are all dead." he replied feeling another question coming up.

"What are they like?" she asked curiously, she was always curious.

"Who; the spiders? They are black, with a lot of legs and most of them are twice your size. Disgusting creatures if you ask me." he replied trying to be brief, but descriptive enough for his little friend. "So what trouble did you get into while I was away?" he asked not wishing to pursue this topic further.

Tauriel seemed to have something to tell him. "I met your father's elk. He is adorable and strong and has very big horns. I asked the king if he would get him a mate, but he probably won't." she chatted excitedly while being put down at her desk as they reached the library.

"He truly is one of a kind." Legolas replied grinning despite himself at her clear fascination.

Before she could distract him any further, he sat down next to her. "Alright enough of distractions, we missed a couple of lessons. Where was it that I stopped at last time?" he asked thinking out loud feeling quite content now that his little friend was beside him.

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon - Friend_

 _Goheno nin - Forgive me_

 _Ada - Father_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **Thank you for sticking with me and reviewing my story. I am very motivated to continue posting chapters.**_

 _ **Neebieone and pk61 - I believe that this chapter will answer your questions partially, but if it doesn't; keep reading the next few I post. Tauriel's nightmares are not something I can write about in a whim in a single chapter. :)**_

 _ **p8rfectStorM - Your question will also be answered in one of the next chapter. I don't want to spoil the surprise. :)**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **M.E.**_

 **CHAPTER 10**

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Tauriel felt bored beyond measure at times, but she almost always found something to do even when Legolas was not around. She often went to visit Ninenath and help her with her patients. There weren't many injuries, but she could always find someone to amuse herself with.

At least she succeeded to lift their spirits every time she visited for she was a cheerful nature and generally loved or at least nobody seemed to hate her. She knew how to be talkative, but respectful at the same time though the latter was often forgotten, but even then no one minded her presence.

She waited eagerly for the bloom of spring wandering often outside and spending more and more time there even if the coldness still held its firm grip.

After what seemed like centuries, the temperature begun to rise gradually and very minor amounts of snow were replaced with unstable weather, the rain falling often over the land. Tauriel's excitement with the prospect of spring was rather amusing, Legolas and Laeorn often laughed as she started being even more restless than as per usual admiring her enthusiasm,

Finally, one cloudless and warm day was upon them. Little Tauriel was sleeping in her bed though her dreams gave her no comfort. Brave little elleth refused to say a word about her nightmares, she didn't confide in her friend trying to be strong with the belief that they would stop eventually. Many months flew by, but she still refused to talk about it.

The dream never changed, it remained what it was ever since their death. The chase which almost finished in her demise was all present. No matter how often did she see these images, they always jerked her awake and today was no exception. With a jolt, Tauriel was in sitting position breathless; the cold sweat on her forehead and her arm resting on her chest trying to even out her breaths.

"Tauriel? Are you alright?" a worried voice came from the door rushing inside and closing the door behind him. He was not accustomed to enter without knocking, but he heard the hustle inside and entered to see what was wrong.

Tauriel was surprised to see him; they rarely saw each other before breakfast and she didn't wish to be seen like this. "I'm fine. Just a bad dream." she said trying to sound normal like it was just that. Bad dream was an understatement, but she still fought to prove what she believed was her strength.

She was still only mildly coherent while waking her mind up which is why a warm hand over her cheekbone surprised her. She tried to blink the rest of the sleepiness away while she focused on her friend's face.

"You are sweating. It is more than a bad dream is it?" he stated as a matter of fact rather than a question.

Tauriel took a deep breath. "It's nothing." she finally said almost like a rehearsed line.

Blond ellon looked at her unconvinced, but decided to make sure before pursuing this topic any further. He would find a way to find out everything he wanted to know without asking her for she clearly didn't wish to tell him.

"Come now little mellon, it's almost time for breakfast. I'll wait for you in the corridor." he turned to his usual light manner and kissed her forehead before leaving her to dress.

Tauriel jumped from her bed and put on her hunting gear in great haste. The presence of her friend made all her bad thoughts go away. Sometimes, she felt exhausted for her lack of peaceful sleep, but always found a way to wake herself up and enjoy the day.

Legolas took her hand while they descended the stairs; it was an omen of comfort and friendship between the two and Tauriel enjoyed to have someone whom she could embrace as her own.

It was evening, beautiful and cloudless. Finally, Tauriel could see the stars; she had missed them for it was many weeks since the clouds held their grip. Legolas was absent for the majority of this day, he had missed their lunch leaving his father and little one to eat in complete silence as usual.

Little elfling almost wished to retire to sleep early with the fresh disappointment of not finding her friend anywhere, but she didn't wish to stay in the confines of her room yet. She was saved by the bell or more accurately by her prince.

"Good evening little mellon. Aphado nin." he said lightheartedly trudging out the door leaving her to blink in surprise.

"Where to?" she asked following closely behind him with a curious expression. He only smiled, but gave no direct answer.

"It's a surprise, I have promises to keep." he replied cheerfully binding something across her eyes. She huffed in annoyance at his reluctance to answer and at the fact that she could not see.

She listened as he brought her to the stables and placed her to sit in front of him on, she assumes, his horse. They were galloping in full speed and she wished she could enjoy watching the scenery.

"Legolas, this better be worth it." she huffed annoyed while his grip on her only tightened in response. Before she even realized, she was seated on his shoulders with her arms and legs enwrapped tightly around his torso.

Her mind worked in overdrive trying to remember what promise was left unkept, but it came out empty. She felt him move beneath her, but couldn't pinpoint in which direction. "Are we there yet?" she asked impatiently holding him tight.

She didn't need her vision in order to feel him tremble in silent laughter. "We're almost there; just keep a firm grip." he replied with light heart. They finally stopped somewhere; Tauriel felt the wind blowing in her face. They must have reached a clearing or something. What did this have to do with promises being kept?

Soon enough her feet touched the ground or more accurately the wood and her eyes were seeing the light once again.

When her eyes adjusted to the light, she could finally see her surprise. The stars and the moon on a cloudless sky were a magnificent sight to behold. The starlight illuminated her face and the shine in her eyes was brighter then even stars themselves. Its beauty took her breath away; she couldn't utter a single syllable for at least half an hour. She barely acknowledged when her companion took her off his shoulders and sat by her on the highest branch letting her enjoy the view while he himself did the same. The stars made this dark world shine with ethereal beauty.

They were both content to sit in silence and admire the white light of forever fill the skies. "Do all of our kin worship the stars as we do?" she asked staring mesmerized after finally her curiosity was awakened again.

"All light is sacred to the Eldar, but wood elves love best the light of the stars." his voice was equally distant as hers.

"It is like a memory. Some people say that our destiny is written in the stars. Do you think that is possible?" she asked voicing some of her thoughts.

He looked at her then, she saw ancient grief in his eyes, but dared not voice that out loud. "The race of men believes that it is, but I don't particularly grasp the concept of our lives being controlled by some invisible force; not completely anyway." he replied leaning his back against the cold wood.

Tauriel took his hand with both of hers, but said nothing for a while. "You said you'd teach me the stories behind the stars." she finally said remembering that particular conversation at the very start of their relationship many months before.

Legolas seated her in his lap comfortably appreciating her silent comfort. There were a lot of stars, a lot of constellations and many other things in the sky. He told her a few legends that were bound to them and still had many more to tell.

"The hour is late little mellon, we should get back to the palace. I will tell you more on some other occasion." he replied kissing her hair before helping her climb down with him; this time using her own feet and hands. Help was rarely necessary; she was the daughter of the forest after all...

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon - Friend_

 _Aphado nin - Come with me_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **flynalien - the classes are not really central to this story; I think there was a brief mention of her devouring history and astrology; they're more for the purpose of giving her something to do & showing her thirst for knowledge.**_

 _ **I hope you will enjoy this new chapter.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **M.E.**_

 **CHAPTER 11**

Hot season lured little elleth out of confined space of the king's halls for the majority of day. The only impediments were rains which fell often, but even they couldn't stop her for most of the time. Everything was green, the grass, the leaves and the moss covered floors of the forest. Elves dreamed of Greenwood the Great as was once known this realm, but even with the most beautiful of colors, many creatures still lurked in the dark. The sickness that spread through the lands would not easily be cured. Spider attacks were more frequent now than they were in the winter. Legolas was on duty more often and was often gone for entire day and night.

Tauriel of course missed him greatly, but her free spirit found a lot of amusements in these warm days, most of which entitled not staying inside the palace. Guards were so used to see her walk by them several times a day that they didn't give it much thought. Some greeted her in friendly manner though the ones that guarded the gate seemed to have an obligation to stay silent.

Beleorn was good choice to spend time with when he was available. He was dedicated to training new recruits for the royal guard and seemed to have given up chasing spiders and orcs altogether. She was not permitted entrance to the training grounds while there was training session in progress, but she always found a spot from where she could see some of the fights. Of course, Beleorn took her inside as soon as the opportunity arose. It wasn't as interesting as when they were full of soldiers, but still she admired everything imagining herself training in a few years.

Sometimes, she would venture further out to a nearby village. The nearest one was two hours far from her home. She observed the farmers as they went about their everyday business. It amused her for a time; she sat on their fences and poured everything in. This seemed to shock them at first, but soon they got used to the little red-haired elleth coming to visit. They refused her help when offered, but sometimes they invited her inside for refreshment. There were no elflings nearby which made her heart sink. There were two in her parents' village, but they were murdered with the rest of the villagers. The fact that at least one of their murderers died by her hand made her feel proud.

Legolas had a lot of duties to attend to so he didn't really realize how extended her expeditions seemed to become as the time passed. Even Tauriel herself was oblivious to how far she went until one day the sun started to go down as she approached the river. Dread entered her heart as she realized how late it was. She clearly remembered walking out after the morning meal.

There was no danger of getting lost, but still she felt uncomfortable by herself and unarmed on the road during the night. She kept close to the river knowing that here she was safe; at least regarding to spider attacks. The evening was fresh and she wished for her cloak right about now. The sight of the palace was never more welcoming. It promised warmness, free food and bed.

The guards let her in without a word; not that she expected them to talk at this point. Her feet were satisfied with the excursion so her spirits were up as soon as the feeling of solitude disappeared upon seeing her home. How strange it was to call this place home. If somebody told her that she would end up living here, it would have sounded like a joke. She had successfully missed dinner, oh well she would eat in the morning. The three of them more often did not eat together then they did; each with his or her own duties to attend to so missing the meals wasn't news to anyone and elves didn't really need to eat as often as humans did. Before she could see him or hear him, she sensed someone's eyes and almost felt the thunder strike from the intensity of his glare.

"This is not the hour to arrive home young lady. Do you care to tell me where have you been for the whole day?" Legolas said in hard cold voice staring at her with such intensity that she had to detain herself before flinching from fear. She was conscious that she overstepped it a little today.

Tauriel took a deep breath. "I was in the village downstream, about two hours of walk from here I presume and I lost the track of time." she replied knowing that any other excuse would be fruitless and untrue.

The storm never came. "It's time for sleep forgetful one, off to bed this instant." he replied harsher then he intended, but he was worried for the majority of this afternoon and this seemed to ease his anxiety. Tauriel didn't dare say anything else so she just ran past him and up the stairs in a blink of an eye knowing that this conversation was far from over.

There were no tears to shed, but she felt like someone poured a bucket of cold water over her head and it wasn't precisely because of the fact that she froze outside. She remembered her promise in the healing ward all those months ago; that she wouldn't run again. Did she just break it? She fell asleep shortly afterwards even though her mind was reluctant on the question of resting itself.

* * *

Next morning made her anxious; she paced the length of her room while deliberating on whether to join breakfast or not; not that she could eat anything right now. Like brave little elleth, she made her way to the dinning parlor. Why they used this extravagant chamber for intimate family meals was an issue far beyond her comprehension. Sometimes they had guests and Tauriel politely either didn't assist such occasions or excused herself as soon as it was proper to do so; the latter mostly being when such visits caught her by surprise. If she was really hungry, she would make her way to the well stocked kitchens for a quick bite. Cooks didn't seem to find themselves disturbed by her presence either; on the contrary, they were happy to be of service and sometimes Tauriel would find amusing herself with learning to prepare a meal she particularly liked.

Legolas did not speak a word to Tauriel during breakfast. He occasionally exchanged a few words with his father, but completely ignored the elleth's presence. She wished she had skipped the meal right now. His silent treatment was worse than actually giving her a lecture or shouting about what happened yesterday. Thranduil noticed this distance between the pair, but didn't interfere in any way for the resolution of this conflict; for better or for worse. He didn't look even mildly surprised at their lack of communication. Tauriel wished she was invisible or non-existing barely touching her food in the process.

* * *

The fresh air didn't seem as inviting today. Tauriel lingered close to the palace, watching the river flow by it peacefully. Serenity was not, however, what she felt. Something inside of her made her jumpy; it wasn't Legolas and neither did she have the will to roam around the forest as usual. Still, it was like a bad predicament, but she chased the thoughts away; after all what could happen while they were all here in or near the palace?

The sun kept moving higher on the horizon and she sat there in the same tense position. Where was all the tension coming from? Her eyes scanned the area in all directions, but the cause of her anxiety didn't appear. Perhaps, she was just paranoid. Before that thought came to an end, she heard a baby crying. How odd, there weren't many babies in the kingdom. She looked perplexed as something made of wood came flowing downstream from the back gate.

She jumped to her feet not believing her own eyes. "There is a baby in the water." she called loudly as she made her way down to retrieve the little form. She barely heard the guard hustling and shouting orders from the gate. She was close to the water, the river wasn't wide in this area and on her fortune the little crying form seemed to flow directly toward her. She had just taken hold of the little ellon when she noticed where the distress was coming from.

Orcs were floating on wooden logs tracking the little one. One was almost upon her and two others weren't far behind. "This can't be good." she muttered to herself quickly getting her boots out of the water and rushing back up the hill. She was fast, but the little package in her arms impeded her to use her arms so by the time she reached the bridge, it seemed to be too late.

Everything happened so quickly that Tauriel barely had time to register it. It took two minutes between her call to the guards and her impromptu rescue. As she turned around, she saw the nearest creature disembarking and getting ready to end her life with a single arrow. She stopped breathing knowing that there was nowhere to hide; the orc had an upper hand from his position. She enwrapped the little crying elfling protectively in her arms as soon as she heard the arrow being released.

She acknowledged something clashing in the air and covered her face with her hand knowing that it served no purpose. Little one stopped crying at least, but the blow never came. She opened her eyes disoriented to find that the orc was dead and so were his two companions, but more came running from the shore, how many orcs did float in the river today? She watched as the guards started cutting them off one by one, most of them ending their lives in the water.

"Tauriel, get inside. Get inside!" a familiar voice yelled in her direction urgently. She wasn't aware of how, but somehow she retrieved her senses enough to do as was asked of her. She tried to even her breaths as her heart restarted and rushed into the entrance hall barely aware of the right direction.

She tried to stay calm for the baby's sake; she knew her anxiety could have effect on baby's emotions so she tried not to panic. She sat on the stairs hugging the little bundle tightly barely acknowledging his face until now. He had brown hair like most of elves and his eyes looked at her curiously. The way he moved his feet made her realize that he was able to walk, but she didn't feel like testing that right about now. She listened as the metal clashed outside, completely frightened for her friends. At least Legolas spoke to her like he cared; or maybe it was just the heat of the moment. She felt useless now that her combat skills could have been put to a good use if she only had any.

Sitting completely still was a challenge, but she was successful. Perhaps, this little one held her body parts together. The realization that she just saved his life came rather abruptly. _Okay so maybe I was not completely useless today,_ she thought rocking the little one trying to muffle the sounds of battle which were coming from outside.

The sounds of battle became more distant until they finally died out completely. It must have been at least a couple of hours; hours of complete agony and terror for the little elleth. Her little friend didn't seem at all concerned by what was going on outside. Tauriel wished she was carefree like him and not able to comprehend what were happening. Suddenly, the fighting stopped and Tauriel's breathing with it. She tried to compose her features and hide her fear which was a true maneuver considering that only now it hit her how close she was to her demise. The little one nestled on her chest; she was surprised by how calm he was considering that she was a complete stranger to him and that they almost died together.

Why was it taking so long? Did someone get hurt? Tauriel felt like she could faint, but somehow kept herself together. She stroked the little one's hair absently trying to calm her nerves. The footsteps finally approached and she exhaled. Three elves came in hurried pace through the doors first. Legolas was there with a scratch or two, but other than that seemed undamaged.

Tauriel rose to her feet quickly with more confidence then she thought she had. She observed the couple briefly before they saw her, noticing their brown hair, much like the elfling's. They all looked equally distressed; of course they were beautiful and wise like all elves. The elleth spread a motherly aura around her. They were probably the parents of her new little friend.

"Elethan." exclaimed the elleth as she came rushing forth with her husband only a step behind. The little one shifted in Tauriel's embrace at the familiar sound of his mother's voice. Tauriel handed him over almost without realizing it still partly in shock. Elethan was crushed to his mother's chest while she sobbed into her husband's shoulder who; in return held them both protectively. This moment appeared too intimate for anyone's eyes, but Tauriel had not enough use of her senses to move her feet. She just stood completely motionless leaning onto the wall.

Legolas was there as well looking at her with concerned eyes. How did she manage to move her own feet, was a true mystery, but at the sight of him, something clicked inside her mind. She rushed to him trying to suppress her fear. His awaiting arms were comforting; they embraced her tightly and she rested her head on his left shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked stroking her hair while her little arms wrapped around his neck.

"I'm fine. And you and the guards? Did somebody get hurt?" she asked the most important question keeping her tone low so she would sound remotely calm.

Legolas hushed her. "Nothing can touch me and I assure you the injuries were minor." he replied while she observed his face as he placed her back on the ground. She wasn't entirely sure on whether she was ready to part from him, but he looked at the pair.

"Tauriel, I would like you to meet Lord Elgrion and his wife Ilithiel." he said when she paid attention to the two strangers who finished their very emotional reunion with their son.

Prince held his hands on Tauriel's shoulders for comfort. She looked up into his face and he signed to her to approach them. She reluctantly came closer to the pair contemplating on how to greet them, but before she took her last hesitant step, Ilithiel embraced her in a hug. Little elleth was far beyond surprised at such spontaneous demonstration of affection from an elleth she never saw before in her short life, but she hugged her back in response. She didn't remember a woman embracing her like this since her mother died. She suppressed the urge to cry.

"Hannon le Tauriel. We are in your eternal debt. I shudder at the thought of how this would have ended if it wasn't for you." Ilithiel said after a couple of minutes. Tauriel blushed pink in response to such words.

"Hiril nin, there is no need to thank me. I just did my duty. You owe your gratitude to another though I can't say to whom for I did not see who intercepted that arrow." she replied trying to formulate the right response feeling increasingly uncomfortable by such treatment.

"You are too modest little one. If you hadn't spotted something unusual on time, both my son and the orcs would have been long gone before anyone realized what was happening. Hir nin Legolas, to you as well we owe our gratitude for if you were not such a fine archer, we would be singing a lament for two dead elflings rather than rejoicing in victory." lord Elgrion replied making her realize that yet again, her prince saved her life. Legolas chased the unwanted image of two elflings laying dead on the ground, cold and pale. This would not be the fate of his little restless friend.

 _Translations:_

 _Hannon le - Thank you_

 _Hiril nin - My lady_

 _Hir nin - My lord_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **Thank you for sticking with me & reviewing my story.**_

 _ **Some of you found delight in cheering in Tauriel's favor that I was under the impression of broadcasting a live match rather than writing a story, but do keep going; it is highly gratifying.**_

 _ **Lucien - No according to what I read & saw from the movies, elves are a dying race. There are elflings. but not many. However, they are immortal so they don't get sick. It keeps the balance. :)**_

 _ **hobbitJunki - I could answer that question, but that would spoil the story. I'm trying to follow a logical order so I will be answering questions about what will happen or will she do this or that through my chapters if you have patience to read it.**_

 _ **Chapter 12 is one of my personal favorites (at least from the ones I wrote so far), but ofcourse drama is not something everyone likes. This part might be the most dramatical or perhaps the word is emotional up until this point, but I purposely made it so. I hope you will enjoy it. but feel free to critisize me. It's good for my writing when somebody highlights my mistakes or something I haven't explained sufficently.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **M.E.**_

 **CHAPTER 12**

"You remind me of someone little one, I can't remember what about you seems familiar." Elgrion said after a short pause when little elleth went back to stand by her friend. Warm hands were placed on her shoulders again without their owner even realizing it. Tauriel tried to make sense of those words, but it would have taken a while if it weren't for another voice that came from the opposite direction of the entrance hall.

"She has her father's eyes." a cold voice full of authority spoke before he came into view. Four pairs of eyes turned around is surprise, three of them curtseying before their king.

Thranduil looked with serenity at their surprise. "You seem surprised to see me Elgrion. You forget that this is my dwelling." he continued raising an eyebrow in his usual cold manner. They have met before, apparently.

Elgrion recovered from his initial shock and spoke with serenity. "Goheno nin, Aran nin. You came in a little unexpectedly." he said speaking like an old friend.

"I heard that there was trouble and than I thought I heard a familiar voice. What happened?" he asked turning to his son instead.

"I am still not entirely certain ada. I was hoping that Elgrion and his wife could shed some light upon it. All I saw were orcs disembarking on the shore half way between the gates and the cellar doors, they came floating from upstream." he replied unconsciously tightening the grip on Tauriel. She could almost feel his anxiety, but said nothing.

Thranduil watched Tauriel from the corner of his eye while he listened to his son's very brief report. She was involved in this somehow though he still waited for the full insight on the situation.

"We were on our way back home hir nin, I was gathering some herbs in the woods by the river when Elethan climbed into an old box somebody left by the water and the current dragged him away from the shore. The current is much stronger upstream than here so we were far behind by the time we even realized what was happening. Orcs must have arrived afterwards; we didn't see them until we arrived here. We were afraid that they had done something to our son, but ernil Legolas informed us that his friend pulled a baby from the water." Ilithiel explained without formalities giving relief to her anxiety. Thranduil listened carefully, but these events didn't make much sense. An entire battalion of orcs jumping into the flowing river only with a purpose to chase a single baby downstream. That made little sense, but in the lack of better explanation, this would have to satisfy him.

Thranduil glared at Tauriel instead with a quizzical eyebrow. She rose to her full height feeling the storm coming adding tension to her shoulders. Legolas felt her discomfort beneath his hands and looked at the source of it. "Am I to understand Tauriel that you consciously risked your own death at the hands of an entire pack of orcs to save someone's life!?" he asked with his voice rising for an octave after each word. King knew how to raise his voice and still remain cold and serene.

Little elleth was completely motionless in duration of his speech not daring even to blink or breath at all. She took a deep breath and gulped silently before replying. "I did not see them until I already took hold of Elethan." she replied keeping her voice on usual volume despite her fear.

This conversation was still not over. "And if you had seen them, that would have stopped you?" he asked knowingly. Tauriel pondered this question for only a moment and still she knew that orcs would not be a contributing factor to her decision. "It's what I thought." the king added when she dropped her gaze to the floor. This time, it was Legolas who took in a sharp breath behind her at the realization of this. No matter how much he wished to deny it, his little friend had the courage and the instincts of a warrior and he knew such skills belonged in the guard; much to his dismay.

The couple watched this exchange in silence looking at each other in surprise as king came to the conclusion that this little one would have risked her life for their son even if she was aware of the danger. King turned to Elgrion leaving the little elleth to exhale in relief. "Returning to the previous topic, you have not been introduced yet to our little restless warrior. This is Tauriel, Captain Dehael's daughter. I presume you do remember him." Thranduil watched recognition appear on his face.

"The captain, of course and her eyes; I can almost see him when she looks at me." Elgrion replied with newly found interest towards their little hero. "I heard that he retired, but I never met his wife and I knew not that he had a daughter. How is old captain faring? I see this little one has his spirit." he asked observing her curiously. She held her gaze down at the mention of her parents. At least they did not expect her participation in this conversation, but still talking about someone when he could hear you appeared incredibly inconsiderate.

Legolas looked at his father wishing that this topic was not discussed in front of his friend, but the king paid no attention to him at the moment. "You will be grieved to hear that Dehael is dead." Thranduil replied gazing far away like he was dwelling in a memory.

Dehael's former solider gasped; not able to conceal his surprise. "Dehael is dead. How? When?" he asked thinking back to their comradeship in the king's guard. He was a fearsome warrior, the mere notion of him being dead seemed foreign.

"There was an orc raid in the south last autumn. The entire village was burned to the ground and you are looking at the only survivor of the dreadful event." the king replied gazing at Tauriel with newly found compassion, but she was not looking at him or anyone else.

Elgrion nodded in understanding, the news of the destroyed village spread through the realm long ago. The pair looked in grief realizing that this little one lost both of her parents in one blow; she was an orphan. They exchanged a silent look understanding each other without words. Legolas was too busy looking at his father to notice this, and Tauriel still gazed at the floor.

There was a short silence, Tauriel wished to excuse herself, but dared not utter a single syllable for a very long time. "Tauriel." somebody spoke to her with a gentle voice. It was Elgrion and she raised her gaze reluctantly to look at his face. His eyes were warm, but she saw pity in them. It took quite an effort not to turn her eyes away; she didn't wish to be pitied by anyone. "I have a proposal to make. It would give us great pleasure if you considered the possibility of another home. Come live with us." he said slowly trying to determine the effect of his words.

Little elleth widened her eyes. Surprise turned into disbelief and disbelief in pure terror as her mind fully registered his words. The prince felt her tension, but they could see it as well. His reproachful look fell upon the speaker; didn't anyone have tact today? Tauriel felt like she received a physical blow in the chest and her breathing sped up. Before anyone had time to speak, she released herself from her friend's grip.

Legolas was about to grab a hold of her fearing that she may run, but that fear seemed to be without foundation when she simply turned around and buried her head in his waist while her little arms held him with a strong grip that surprised even the prince himself. She was much stronger than he had originally thought, extraordinary for such a small elfling. The pierced orc suddenly came to his mind; she had cut through his armor. The thought of how much strength that required never came to his mind before and she had a broken arm, damaged spine and was barely conscious at the time.

That thought went away as quickly as it appeared when he sensed her distress. Tauriel was a strange elleth, she didn't cry often, but he could sense her desperation and when she was hurting like now. Was it her that appeared odd or did the two of them just share some kind of strange bond? He could almost hear her screaming for his protection even though she was completely silent.

"Peace little mellon. You are not going anywhere." he finally reassured her stroking her hair keeping his voice soothing. Tauriel just held on like her life depended on it. She had nothing personal against this couple; in fact they seemed rather welcoming and friendly, but the lone thought of leaving her friend sent ice through her entire body. Suddenly, she wished for them to go away, she didn't want to have to see them or Elethan ever again. The reproachful line of her thoughts didn't last for long, it wasn't in her nature to hold a grudge and these elves were just wishing for her wellbeing.

Legolas felt that his words had little effect, she was still radiating tension from every part of her body and her grip remained firm. It took some effort to remove her hands from his waist. She struggled in vain fearing to lose the contact. He simply lifted her into his embrace sensing her hands and her legs as they enwrapped around his torso. He had the urge to lecture the three of them, but there were two elflings present and his fury would not help in calming Tauriel down.

Ilithiel and Elgrion didn't see the prince's anger, but Thranduil noticed that he was pacifying his own emotions along with Tauriel's fear. It took him by surprise though it didn't show on his face. His son was always so serene and in control of himself. Even when he battled against orcs or spiders, he did not lose his temper. He was reacting instinctively to her pain and fear and he didn't even see the full effect of Elgrion's words on his friend. Her look of terror would haunt his mind forever. She almost died today and yet she showed no fear. Leaving her son frightened her more than death. He would have contemplated this matter further if he was alone, but now he had to pacify his son.

"I believe that you've got your answer." Thranduil said coldly breaking the unpleasant silence.

The couple nodded with grave faces. They were sorry to cause such distress, but didn't stop to think of the strange relationship between the prince and the little orphan before speaking their minds.

Tauriel relaxed slightly and the prince's anxiety diminished as well. "Why don't you take Elethan to the healing ward so Ninenath can examine him and give him food and warm clothes mellon? Laeorn will go with you." he said after he succeeded in the attempt to place her on the ground although she looked very unwilling to let go.

She was still afraid, this awoke his temper again. "Tauriel, it's alright. No one is taking you anywhere unless that is what you wish for. I'll be with you soon." he said with a sigh placing a soft kiss on her forehead before she reluctantly let go walking over to Ilithiel who handed over her little son with a smile, but little elleth tried very hard not to look at her. Laeorn walked in at such opportune time which gave Legolas the chance to hand his little friend to someone she trusted. She took hold of the captain's hand and kept gazing back at Legolas until she could no longer see him.

Legolas tried to smile encouragingly though he did not know what expression was on his face. Her fear awoke protective instincts from within the depths of his heart.

"Shall we take this elsewhere? Follow me." the king said trying to give his son time to calm down and wishing not for this discussion to continue in the corridor where everyone was able to listen to it. He walked with his son by his side while the two of them followed two steps behind. Thranduil chose the dinning parlor for the occasion and left his guards outside.

The king sat on his place at the head of the table, his son reluctantly sat down on his left while two elves sat opposite him. "Forgive our impertinence Aran nin, we should have addressed you first before we made such proposal to little Tauriel." Ilithiel finally said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence addressing the king, but looking at the prince.

"Yes you should have. If you did we would have been able to prepare her for such a question. You may well imagine why she was a little resistant to the idea." the king replied trying to stop his son's outburst. He seemed calmer, but it was hard to be sure.

He should have known better than to even discuss the possibility of Tauriel leaving the palace in front of his fueling son. "Let us not deceive ourselves Aran nin. She was positively terrified at the thought of leaving. This is her home, I see that now. Unfortunately my mouth was faster than my reason." Elgrion said with regret in his voice.

"I'm glad that you're conscious of that at least. Maybe there is some sense in you after all." Legolas said apparently calm, but nevertheless his reproach was obvious to everyone's ears.

"Legolas. This approach might have been ill managed, but it is still something to think about. Tauriel will understand when the shock wears off. " his father cautioned him with a stern voice, but his son could hear a little worry as well.

Legolas stood up not giving his father time to say anything else. "No! Tauriel just lost her parents and her home a few months ago. She is just starting to adjust to her new life. I won't let anyone traumatize her further while there is a single breath in me. She is not going anywhere unless it is by her own free will and if anyone tries to pressure her into taking such a decision, he or she will have me to answer to. This discussion is over." the prince straightened up and stormed out of the room not giving anyone time to reply or even move. Thranduil sighed as he watched behind his son. At least he didn't raise his voice and he actually acted like a true prince which he rarely did. Maybe Tauriel would be a good influence on him after all. He spoke to the pair not hearing his own voice, but he didn't defy his son's wishes.

Little Elethan seemed to be more than fine, he was loud and restless. If the circumstances were different, Tauriel would have laughed and played with him happily, but today she just sat quiet and fought against the tears which were threatening to fall at any moment. Laeorn watched sadly, but knew that he wasn't the one that could offer her comfort. He contemplated on how much he would miss her if she was gone; not that it had any importance since she wasn't likely to go anywhere. He knew that she would not react well to such scheme, but he was beyond stunned when he saw how frightened she was at the mere prospect of it.

They walked back to the palace silently, Tauriel carrying the little bundle of joy in her arms. He could see from her posture that she was still very afraid of what she would find inside. She didn't speak for a very long time and captain watched in worry, but felt powerless. The sight of the prince was never more welcoming than today. She waited in the entrance hall patiently while Legolas exchanged a few silent sentences with his captain.

"How is she faring?" Legolas asked full of anxiety.

Laeorn just shook his head. "I do not know mellon. She hasn't spoken for a while. She used to always move around restless, but today she stood completely motionless for half an hour and barely blinked the whole duration of it. I know she is afraid, but it's hard to see to which extension; she is skilled in concealing it." he replied sadly shifting from feet to feet.

"I can't believe that they just dropped such a storm on her out of the blue. Who does that?" Laeorn added thoughtful when the prince said nothing.

"It was inconsiderate, but they heard my opinion on the subject. Do me a favor and take the little one to his parents; I need to get Tauriel away from them." Legolas finally said closing the distance between the lawn and the gate in a few long strides. Tauriel stood completely motionless staring into an invisible spot almost without blinking like before.

Laeorn took Elethan from her hands and she barely acknowledged the event. She jumped into her friend's open arms without a word; her grip as firm as before. He squeezed her tightly in response. At least her breathing returned to normal, but now she was completely motionless with her head resting upon his shoulder. He walked up the stairs towards his chambers carrying the little form with him. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought she fell asleep.

He spotted the couple as they walked to exit the palace. This seemed to bring him some peace of mind. They just bowed without a word sensing that he was far from calm right now.

Once he was inside his chambers, he sat comfortably on his bed placing Tauriel in his lap. She didn't seem to have intention to let go anytime soon. "Tauriel, talk to me. Say something. Anything!" he pleaded stroking her hair; the only response he received was hands tightening around his neck.

"Are you going to send me away?" she finally asked after a good half hour. His heart warmed upon hearing her voice.

"Don't be ridiculous little mellon." he replied though he suddenly felt selfish. "Tauriel, have you ever considered that it wouldn't be so bad? You'd have a mother, a father and a little brother." he asked against his better judgment. He regretted deeply his words as soon as he sensed her reaction.

He never saw her so hurt, so frightened and so vulnerable. She released herself from his grip which loosened when he relaxed a little bit. "Why don't you just say it? You want me to go away and you just found a perfect pretext to send me away. Did you grow tired of me or was I simply a burden from the very start?" she asked getting to the opposite wall by the time it took him to stand up.

Her words would have made him angry if it wasn't for the fact that she was breathing heavily while her voice raised with each word. He saw her trying to control herself, but she was too emotionally drained to keep herself together and by the time her speech came to an end, the tears started to fall from her face with her barely realizing it.

"An ngell nin mellon, calm down. Look at me." he plead as he approached her again, she had no power over her senses to even try to move away. His heart ached for her pain as he felt her distress. He had just slighted those two for injuring her and yet he was the one to inflict even more pain trying to appease his conscience.

"I like having you here. I enjoy your company greatly. You brought light back to my life tinu nin, but I can't help feeling a little selfish for depriving you of the possibility of having a mother for I know what it's like to live without one." he said standing a couple of feet away trying to give her a chance to think this through without any pressure from him.

This seemed to get to her, but she was still completely out of control. She embraced him around the waist like before mumbling barely coherent words. "I don't want a mother, I just want you. An ngell nin don't send me away." she sobbed into his waist.

Legolas took a deep breath after such a confession. It warmed his heart, but the state of Tauriel was causing him anguish. "I already promised you that you're not going anywhere unless it's your wish to leave me, but I beg you to calm down. There is no cause for your suffering." he replied lifting her up again letting her nestle her head and weep on his shoulder while stroking her hair.

It took her hours to calm down completely, but her friend was patient trying to keep hold of his own sanity in the process. How many tears did she have to shed? He tried to deliberate on how he felt about the cause of her distress. Did leaving him truly cause her such pain? Their bond was strong; he realized that he would be in pain upon losing her as well. They had known each other for only a few short months yet he had the feeling like Tauriel was a part of him; a vital part of him. He laid her down gently on his bed and removed his armor, his weapons and his boots. After he took off hers as well, he laid next to her sensing as she nestled on his chest. He smiled at the little sleeping form and stroked her hair until he drifted off as well...

 _Translations:_

 _An ngell nin - Please_

 _Mellon - Friend_

 _Goheno nin Aran nin - Forgive me my king_

 _Ernil - Prince_

 _Hir nin - My lord_

 _Tinu nin – My little star_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **Thank you for your continued support.**_

 _ **CoffenEdcoFFe - Orcs are really not the reason why I wrote this chapter & neither did I clarify their intentions. Let us just assume they were hungry. Elethan has an important role to play; both now and when he is grown up (I still haven't entirely decided what to do with his character, but I will).**_

 _ **Jessie Rae Baby - Legolas was 30 years old when they found Tauriel who is seven and soon to turn 8. :) I think I may have mentioned this somewhere in my previous chapters. Whether this time sequence is correct I know not, but it was an optimal age difference for my plot.**_

 _ **This chapter might not be as exciting as the last one, but I hope you will enjoy it all the same.**_

 _ **So far I have 25 chapters in total (which means 12 more ready for publishing), but I like to read a few reviews before sharing them in case there is something not too serious that can be fixed.**_

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _M.E._**

 ** _P.S. It would be greatly appriciated if you helped me come up with more elven names. My imagination is running low; the names there are so far are either canon or completely made up. Any suggestions are welcome; I'll pick the most fitting when introudcing a new character later on. :)_**

 **CHAPTER 13**

Morning brought new light and new energy to both of them. The prince was first to open his eyes, he had some very vivid dreams about yesterday's events, but none made him wake up or stir. He stayed peaceful in his bed letting his little friend get some much required sleep; he was content to lay beside her and simply let his mind wander to a happy place.

He didn't know how much time passed until he sensed her slightly stir on his chest and her breathing became louder. It took her a couple of minutes to realize where she was or rather with whom. Little elleth paid no attention when her friend brought her here, he never did so before so the unfamiliar room almost frightened her.

"Good morning little mellon." she heard a gentle voice greet her while familiar fingers stroked her arm.

"Good morning." she replied a little groggily trying to make sense out of everything. She had slept through the entire night without a single nightmare. This surprised her, but the rest was welcome anytime.

"How long did I sleep?" Tauriel finally asked after no one said anything else.

"I don't know, but you certainly needed your rest." Legolas replied kissing the top of her head before he made himself get up to his feet. His little friend followed suit knowing that the polite thing to do was to excuse herself from his room. She had already trespassed on his hospitality.

The prince watched as she put her put her boots back on. "Why don't you go and take a nice hot bath little mellon. Change of clothes will do us both good. I'll meet you in your room in a little while." he finally said knowing that he smelled of orcs, but was unwilling to let her out of his sight.

* * *

When the little elleth made herself fresh and clean, she sat on her bed to wait for Legolas. It took a lot of self-control not to run back to his room, but she knew that he was the prince and that he couldn't place his entire day at her disposal.

Sooner than she would have expected, he was in her room which calmed some of her anxiety. Tauriel wanted to laugh at her foolishness, but leaving him for any amount of time after yesterday's events seemed to send her nerves into overdrive. For both of their sakes, this fear would have to vanish, but this was not easily achieved.

"Tolo little mellon, it's time for breakfast." he informed her when she took a hold of his hand. Tauriel only remotely paid attention to his words; as long as he was present, she thought of nothing else, but of how her friend was always there.

"Mellon." she started stopping midsentence not certain of wishing to finish her thought.

"Yes?" he asked trying to encourage her to speak.

Tauriel shifted from foot to foot as they made their way to the dinning parlor. "About two nights ago, goheno nin. I truly did lose orientation on time. Usually, I come back before the sun sets." she finally said after deliberating on whether or not to speak. Contributing encouragement to do so was her own close encounter with death and the fact that she would have perished without asking for his forgiveness.

Legolas sighed squeezing her hand. "It was nothing mellon, I overreacted a little. I'm just glad that you are unharmed. If something had happened to you, the last thing you'd have heard from my lips would have been me sending you to your room. Try to be more careful; I will do my best to protect you, but you need to help me a little." he replied gazing far away as dread entered his mind along with the mentioned possible scenario.

They had arrived to their destination so there was no time to say anything. Thranduil was already seated on his usual place at the head of the table following their movements. "Good morning ada." Legolas said unconcerned as he placed his little friend to sit next to him.

"Good morning ionneg." he replied only nodding to Tauriel's silent greeting. Little elleth usually addressed him quite vocally, but today felt too embarrassed to say anything after her outburst from yesterday. She was grateful that her numbness held its grip before she shed tears in front of her king, but the demonstration of fear made her feel humiliated. Still, she realized that her reaction would have been much alike if ever in the similar situation.

Her food was barely touched; she didn't feel like eating even though she didn't taste anything in two days. Two bites that she took were forced down her throat, but she barely paid attention to its taste. Legolas looked at her in worry, but she was completely silent. Was she still dwelling in yesterday's events? He didn't voice anything, but was decided to feed her himself if she continued to refuse eating during the afternoon meal.

"Tauriel; why don't you go to the library and bring that book about herbal medicine? I'm going to show you where some of the herbs grow in the forest." he addressed her once they were finished.

Tauriel seemed surprised; Legolas was never available before the afternoon meal. His father looked at him disapprovingly, but didn't say anything until Tauriel was out of earshot.

"Ionneg, have you had time to ponder about yesterday's discussion?" Thranduil approached the matter in this way.

Legolas looked at him expressionless. "I did. I even planted the possibility to Tauriel; the worst mistake I ever committed in my life. She is not going anywhere." he replied drawing each syllable in the last sentence to make his point.

Thranduil pondered this. "Legolas, it might be the best solution; for both of you. Consider it. If you let her go now, she will adjust to her new life more easily. When she stops seeing you, she will start to grow into her new life. You don't have an obligation to dedicate all your free time to her care. She will be well provided for and you would be relieved of the burden you have imposed upon yourself." his father tried to persuade him even though he was fairly certain that it was fruitless.

"I'm not holding her prisoner in the first place ada. If her desire is to have a family, I will not be an impediment in her way; I have told her this last night, but her reaction made me wish I stayed silent. Let's make something very clear. Even if she changed her decision, I will always be a part of her life. She is not a punishment that I bestowed upon myself, I do not care for her because I feel it my duty to do so, but because her presence in my life gives me joy. "Legolas replied coldly using his father's own tone against him.

"You could make a better use of your free time even if that is so ionneg. What about your today's duties?" Thranduil sighed with a hint of compassion.

His son just grinned at him evenly. "I'm sure they can manage without me for a day. I'm not too keen to let Tauriel out of my sight today. As for my time, it is mine to dispose of it as I desire. Dedicating it to her makes it well spent. Weren't you the one that always taught me that caring for our young ones is the most vital interest for our kind?" he replied raising an eyebrow at his father.

He seemed slightly taken aback. "I did and I stand by it. I didn't realize that you actually listened to my counsel. You were much more fascinated with weapons than my words, much like your little friend over there." he replied a little more warmly as he motioned to the door.

The prince didn't even notice when his friend came back; he hoped that she didn't arrive to hear his father's very heartwarming speech from before. Her eyes were full of excitement and she looked to be ready for action so he relaxed slightly.

Tauriel only arrived to hear king's last sentence. As much cold or unyielding that he seemed, he would not have been capable of consciously placing her in distress and he had a good look at the door so he would have known when was a time for silence.

Both ellons stood up upon her arrival; Legolas grinning at her undying enthusiasm. "Ready to go tinu nin?" he asked making his way toward her.

Before she could make any kind of reply, someone else's voice came from behind his back. "A moment; Legolas. Tauriel." he motioned her to come closer; she did so without hesitation looking curious and wary at the same time.

Legolas looked at him wary as well, but for a different reason. He hoped that his father wouldn't be so imprudent as to say something about what they talked about. "There is a rumor that your birthday is coming up soon." he formulated his statement like this.

Her face fell to the floor; her birthday. That day promised a day of joy to her, but at the present, it only brought back the hollowness; the remainder that she was an orphan with no parents. What was there to celebrate anyway? "What was it that your parents used to organize for this event?" the king asked noticing her eyes far away like she was remembering something from a different era; perhaps it was so.

Legolas relaxed slightly knowing where his father was headed with this. "I'm sorry, what?" Tauriel asked getting back from her memories at the sound of his voice. She knew it was incredibly rude not to pay attention to her king, but her mind drifted off on his own.

The king almost rolled his eyes, but nevertheless didn't seem to mind repeating the question. "Your birthday unfocused one. What is it that you usually did on this day?" he asked watching as little elleth paid closer attention.

"Nothing terribly exciting. My parents would bring a dining table outside and invite the villagers over for a late afternoon meal. We would watch as the sun disappeared and the stars glitter in the sky if there were no clouds. Gebreth and Lenderion were always there, they were a couple of years older and they would challenge me. Of course, that would always end in disgrace; for them." Tauriel replied trying to remember through mist. All the faces were there, the clearest being her friends', but still her parents remained a shadow. She stopped herself from flinching in time at that fact. Her speech started with a grin and ended in sadness.

Legolas listened to the story sadly; he hoped that she didn't live to see her friends die before her eyes. His father listened patiently for her to finish. "Sounds like a good plan." Thranduil said in complete stillness.

Tauriel just returned from her memories to try and make sense of these questions. With every word, she became more and more confused. "Plan? Plan for what exactly?" she asked pondering his actions and words trying to see the whole picture.

She risked a glance in her friend's direction, but he was just grinning. "Your gift little one of course. Mine shall be a small feast in the gardens before sunset. You may invite whomever you wish, but if you plan to invite guards, try to keep it in reasonable number limit." he replied watching his words sink into her mind one by one.

Astonishment hit her like a thunder. Many emotions twirled inside of her; the most dominant being gratitude. Thranduil kept his expression free of all emotion, but was somewhat pleased with himself when he saw her eyes light up in surprise. He forgot how easy it was to make little elflings happy; the last one he saw being his own son.

His surprise matched hers when she closed the distance between herself and the king and wrapped her little arms around his waist. His son wasn't far behind; his eyes almost popped out their sockets before he controlled his expression. Thranduil looked down at his hugger slightly taken aback; then again why did it surprise him, she had done something similar before giving him a slight peck on the cheek. His queen always wished to have a daughter; he pictured that daughter with chestnut red hair now. Legolas was an elfling once of course, but he was a boy and his hugging phase passed rather quickly. "Hannon le Hir Vuin. I don't know how I will ever be able to repay you for kindness that you bestowed upon me. " She finally said after she was sure to be able to keep her voice steady.

The king wasn't immune to her innocence; his skilled hand caressed the top of her head for a brief while before he remembered that his councilors would be waiting for him.

That night, Tauriel's father got a new face; the face of King Thranduil.

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Tinu nin – My little star_

 _Hannon le – Thank you_

 _Hir Vuin – Beloved lord_

 _Ada – Father_

 _Ionneg – Son_

 _Goheno nin – Forgive me_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **I dedicate this chapter to p8rfectStorM, flynallen, xXxLegTaur4Evr and Guest if they are still following my story.**_

 _ **Jessie Rae Baby - Do you mean you wish me to put more elvish language? I am working with the limited dictionary I picked out when reading other fictions, but if you give me a site or something where I can find a translator; I'll do my best to oblige you.**_

 _ **I apologize for the long wait; I planned on posting this 2 days ago, but I couldn't upload it before for some reason.**_

 _ **Thank you for your reviews and your patience.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **M.E.**_

 **CHAPTER 14**

Rest of the day passed in complete delirium for the little elleth. Her spirits rose and her confidence was restored. King's generosity warmed up her heart. She was going to have a birthday party, in the palace, at the gardens, with the king's permission and was allowed to invite anyone she wanted. Like that wasn't enough for one day, her friend would spend the whole day by her side. By the time it took them to venture outside, she was already lining names on her guest list; and the most special one was at her side. Laeorn and Beleorn soon came to her mind, and then she remembered a few other names that introduced themselves to her; and Ninenath of course.

The plants soon occupied her mind as she gazed curiously when the prince guided her through the forest. He knew little of medicine or generally about the use of herbs so he learned about them while he showed the plants to his curious friend who never stopped asking questions. His heart warmed up as he saw her mood improve; by now every grudge for his father's words from this morning vanished into thin air as he watched Tauriel's radiant face in contentment. He didn't remember seing her this happy since they met.

* * *

Next morning promised sun and strong wind so the little elleth prepared warm clothes just in case. Her blonde friend would have to fulfill his duties, so she probably wouldn't see him for the majority of day; but her need to stay near him at all times seemed to loosen a grip after yesterday's day.

Soft knock interrupted her in her musings. "Enter." she called finishing with putting on her second boot and jumping up eagerly. It was no surprise to see Legolas before breakfast; he came in with a small wooden box in his hands.

"Good morning tinu nin. Did you sleep well?" he greeted her light spirited.

"Good morning ernil nin. Yes I did thank you. What is that?" she replied in one breath eyeing the box from the very start of her speech.

He crouched down to her height. "A small gift for you." he replied opening the box and showing her its content.

A long white horn stared back at her. Her eyes widened flashing with fear like the harmless little object would attack her at any moment. Shock crossed every line of her dumbfounded face. "I am honored ernil nin, but I cannot take this." she replied looking wary.

Legolas grinned at her evasiveness; she would confront a pack of murdering orcs for defending an innocent child yet his little harmless gift seemed to scare her. "Why not my little mellon?" he simply asked drawing the mentioned object from its box.

"Because that is the horn of Greenwood; I mean Mirkwood. Only royal family and guards are allowed to carry it." she replied eyeing the horn in discomfort.

He only stroked her hair in response. "Av-'osto, I want you to carry this with you when you go outside at all times." he replied smiling, but she still looked in disbelief.

"I can't. What will people and the king say when they see a horn of Mirkwood hung around my neck?" she replied trying to ease her anxiety at the prospect.

"They will know not to mess around with you. Tauriel, as much as I would want to, I can't be around all the time. An ngell nin, I want you to wear this. It would give me some peace of mind." he pleaded looking straight into her eyes. She looked back at him ready to protest, but something in his eyes stopped her from doing so.

The prince had no idea what expression was on his face, but Tauriel's gaze softened. His sincere worry for her safety disarmed her faster than any other weapon. She took her gift and placed it around her neck on top of her jacket while he placed the box on the floor grateful. Her little arms wrapped around his neck and she placed a long kiss on his cheek.

Legolas was taken aback, but her presence always brought warmness and light to his heart. He hugged her tight and kissed her cheek in return with such emotion that Tauriel had a strong urge to cry again, but refrained from doing so. "Hannon le." he said placing another on her other cheek as he lifted her up. "Le nathlam." she replied tightening her hold on his neck. "Tolo tinu nin, it's time for breakfast." he said carrying her out of her room and down to the dinning parlor.

Upon their arrival, Tauriel warmly greeted the king while he eyed her new adornment with something that appeared to be disapproval. He caught his son's gaze in a silent question, but he just looked back evenly so Thranduil just sighed silently and pretended not to see a horn of Mirkwood hung around a small elfling's neck.

* * *

Celebration day finally came. Little restless Tauriel fell asleep just before dawn not being able to close her eyes while thinking about preparations. She had spent an entire day in the kitchens watching as they made her little feast; only now realizing the gap between her notion and king's notion of small. Little elleth made sure to include all available fruits in the menu; the choice wasn't wide, but at least decent. When she heard that the king would accompany her, she almost burst from joy.

Her hunt for guests was successful in the large part. Only one guard was on duty, but he too promised to drop by later for a bite. Legolas was the first one on her list; and he of course wouldn't miss this occasion for anything. Laeorn and Beleorn were both off duty. A few more guards she met during her lone walks were added to the list. Among her guests were a couple of farmers; she had wandered to the village to invite them. There was also a lonely lady who was kind to her when she visited them. Tauriel felt sad that she was by herself all of the time and often offered her services when she went to visit her. In return, she was always invited for tea and a bite.

When the farmers showed the little elleth kindness, they never imagined to end up here; in the king's halls; seated at a table with king Thranduil himself.

Legolas, of course, had to be the one to wish his friend a happy birthday before anyone. His friend was already awake and excited though still in her bed. No matter how little she slept, she always had energy to spare. "Rise and shine sleeping beauty. Echulo." his carefree voice came from the door, she jumped from her bed and on it eagerly.

"Happy birthday tinu nin. May the stars shine upon you always." he replied lifting her into his arms and kissing her cheek for a brief minute. "Hannon le." she replied hugging him back.

"Tolo mellon nin. The sooner you get dressed, the sooner I get to give you your present." he urged as he walked out letting her change her clothes.

He smiled at the hustle inside as she swiftly went about her business trying to put on three things at once. If someone thought that today they would see Tauriel in a dress, they were greatly mistaken. In ten minutes, she was done dressing and fixing her hair. She didn't appear any different from any day apart from the fact that she was additionally excited about her little feast.

The prince tried hard not to laugh at her enthusiasm as she ran out the door and stopped before his feet eyeing his hands in disappointment. "Av-'osto mellon nin. Your gift awaits outside." he chuckled placing a bandage over her eyes. Tauriel, however, was too excited to be annoyed so she let him lead her. When she breathed clean air, she knew they were outside.

Once her eyes were free once again, she looked around trying to find her present. She gazed around stopping her eyes at two horses who were chewing grass ten feet away. One was usual shade of brown and almost as tall as the prince's steed. The smaller one looked for her mother's breast so Tauriel came to the conclusion that this was the mare's foal; her little auburn furred foal with a gift wrap on its back. Little elleth stared in shock as she approached slowly.

Horses generally weren't afraid of children. Little filly looked at her curiously as she accepted her attention. "You are giving me a horse?" little elleth asked with a lot diverse emotions surging through her heart. Her mother's mare was pregnant when the village burned, her father promised that the little foal would be hers when it was born; but neither the mare nor her father lived to see that day. That memory almost brought tears to her eyes, but she blinked them back not wishing to ruin her friend's surprise like this.

"A mare to be more precise. She is barely a couple of weeks old so she will have to stay with her mother for a while longer. She is a handful, do you think you can bear it?" he replied from a small distance with a knowing look on his face.

Tauriel's grin spread all over her face. Her little feet raced back to him after she released a squeal of delight. She jumped into his open arms eagerly trying to find the right words to express herself. He held her in the air laughing loudly at her spontaneous, yet very endearing action. "Hannon le mellon nin. Guren glassui." she replied while being twirled around in the air. She laughed and squealed, but he was enjoying himself too much to stop for a couple of minutes.

"Le nathlam. I 'ell nin." he replied finally squeezing her one last time and placing her back on the ground. She was slightly out of breath, but too thrilled to care. He helped her take both horses to the stables in order to show her their whereabouts.

"Little one is staying with her mother until she is old enough. When she is fully grown, she will get her own space and you will ride her. She will be fit for riding before your next birthday." he explained to his little elleth who hugged her gift around the neck and didn't seem willing to let go.

She sighed for her foolishness and joined her friend after a minute. "Mellon. Can we not stop to greet your father's elk for a moment?" she asked hopeful as they made their way back inside. He led her to the elk's compartment without objection.

"We can, if my father hasn't taken him out for his ride yet." he replied smiling as they arrived to the creature in question. Elk looked only mildly curious before continuing his meal like they were not here.

"Here again Tauriel?" came a familiar cold voice before its owner causally walked into view.

"Good morning ada." Legolas said with a huge grin while his father eyed him in surprise. "Good morning Hir nin. We were passing through and I wanted to see the elk again. You said I could visit any time I wish." Tauriel added with the equally thrilled grin on her own face.

Thranduil almost grinned himself, but detained himself in time. "So I did. I also promised you a ride did I not? You waited patiently like an educated little elleth. Would you like to join me now?" the cold king replied watching an impossibly bigger grin appear on her face.

"Thand?" she asked shifting from feet to feet in newly inflicted excitement.

"I am not known for my sense of humor." the king replied watching the little elleth let go of his son's hand and coming before him impatiently.

Legolas smiled a bit at how quick she sold him for a ride with his father. His little friend was a handful and he would never be bored with her around. Thranduil lifted the little elleth while her eyes shone with anticipation.

She had expected his strength, but it still surprised her how he lifted her up like she was no more than a feather. Soon she felt his firm grip behind her and they took off quickly. The king said it was similar, but it was so different from riding a horse. His horns made her a little nervous at first, but soon enough she was used to it. He was swift and faster than an average horse.

King handled him with such skill that it seemed like he was riding him for a millennium rather than a few years. His guards trudged a little behind, but Tauriel was too occupied in pouring all in to notice anything. Thranduil made a sharp turn when they reached the stream and positioned the elk to ride in the opposite direction; back to his halls. Tauriel wished for a longer ride, but even this half hour would stay in her memory forever along with her first gift from her best friend who patiently fed his own stallion while waiting for their return.

His father received another hug for letting the little elleth ride his elk. This time he was a bit more prepared, he patted her back and stroke her hair for a moment before excusing himself. Legolas had no need to ask if the ride met his friend's expectations. Her glowing face was the only indicator he needed of her joy.

When they walked through the entrance hall, they were met by a grinning captain who couldn't help, but respond to their joy with a smile. "Savo 'lass a lalaith mellon nin." he said in greeting as she approached him excitedly. "Hannon le." she said jumping into his arms. Laeorn was the only person apart from Legolas whom she ever let carry her. The captain hugged her for a short while before letting her back down.

"You're still as restless as ever. We need to put that energy to good use." he added stroking her hair while he greeted his prince.

"Goheno nin mellon nin, but I had to greet the birthday girl first." he said while Tauriel stood between the two in contentment. They were both the ones that spoiled her the most.

"Laeorn, Legolas gave me a filly for my birthday. Would you like to see?" elleth said in excitement not giving them space to converse without including her in the exchange.

Captain held her shoulders trying to stop her from jumping, but she was too excited to stay calm. "Oh I already saw her little one. She is spirited like her new owner. I suppose you won't be needing my gift anymore?" he replied teasing her.

"Where is it?" she asked eagerly walking around him like she expected her gift to be hidden on his back, but he only grinned in return. "You will have to wait for the feast to see it." he replied watching her childlike disappointment in amusement.

"Anyway I should attend to my duties so I can be on time for your party. Try not to break anything before then." Laeorn excused himself noticing Tauriel waving behind him. How could someone so little have such energy and make such a radical change to one's everyday routine. Captain wondered what it would be like to have little elflings of his own one day.

* * *

Afternoon couldn't come quick enough, but after what seemed like a century it arrived. While Legolas went to attend to his daily duties, Tauriel overlooked the preparations. A large table with at least twenty chairs was placed in the gardens. Little elleth wondered if she had that many guests. First one to arrive was Ninenath with her present; a shiny belt with little flowers. It looked like it would go well with a dress. Tauriel controlled her expression and expressed her gratitude warmly; after all it was the thought that counted.

Next ones to arrive were the three villagers she invited. The couple gifted her with a dark red long sleeved tunic; that was something which would be often worn and the lonely elleth gave her dark brown pair of boots. Legolas was most eagerly expected and sure enough he arrived as soon as he was able to watching his friend spread a wide grin upon seeing him. Villagers were surprised to see him join them, but he treated them like old friends so they lost every discomfort by the time the king arrived to astonish them even more.

He only looked mildly surprised at Tauriel's choice of guests, but greeted them in cold propriety. Silence was not the issue because little elleth was restless and amusing as well. Nobody could feel discomfort while she radiated such excitement. Not long after, six guards entered the gardens with their captain and Beleorn two steps in front. He was carrying a wooden box with a gift wrap on it.

Tauriel was out of her seat before Legolas had time to blink twice. "There you are little warrior. I wish you a happy birthday." Beleorn greeted her hugging her with one hand. Four others greeted her warmly and gave her their best wishes; she hugged them all. They seemed surprised at first, but were soon delighted.

Laeorn was the last one to approach her; she hugged him as well. He tapped her back affectionately while Beleorn placed a package on the table. "Would you like to see your gift now?" he asked fakely curious; like he didn't know an answer to that.

Tauriel jumped kneeling on the chair while Beleorn unwrapped the bindings. "The gift was Beleorn's idea, but it's from all of us." he said while she watched in anticipation. Others displayed a polite interest and looked amused. Legolas also watched; it didn't occur to him to ask the guards what they prepared for his little friend so he was curious. Even the king displayed a small interest. As the box opened before her eyes and she stared with wide impossibly more excited eyes.

Tauriel fought against the sudden burst of emotions trying not to shed tears of joy. Little wooden bow rested inside with a load of arrows in the same size. She stared mesmerized afraid to even touch it like it would disappear if she did. She hesitantly closed her little fingers around the bow and took it out of the box examining it with interest. "For me?" she asked as if wanting to make sure that this was not a dream.

"Who else restless one?" one of the guards chuckled from behind. The three elleths looked at them in disapproval, Legolas just grinned with a mixture of emotions, but he couldn't help to feel warm at her undisguised joy.

Tauriel laid the bow down carefully and jumped from her chair. Every guard received another hug only this one was far tighter. They were all equally surprised to find out how strong she really was. Beleorn took out the load of arrows from the box and called her over when she was done expressing her gratitude. "Let's try it little one and stop moving unless you want to end up with a bruise." he said placing it over her shoulder while she stayed completely still.

"Lasto tir, pinmaethril!" he ordered once he made sure everything was in place. Watching her freeze in place was amusing. "You are not allowed to practice shooting without supervision. By supervision I mean an experienced archer to watch over you. You are not allowed to carry these around the palace under any circumstance. Lastly, you are not allowed to carry them anywhere if there is not someone with you. That especially applies to hunting orcs, goblins and spiders. If you disobey these simple rules, I will make sure that you don't hold a weapon or see the insides of the training grounds for a full century. Am I understood?" he lined up the protocol like he was talking to a recruit rather than an eight year old elfling.

Legolas would have scolded him later if it wasn't for the fact that he was enumerating restrictions to her in this way for her own safety. "As ordered sir!" she replied taking him by surprise. How did she know the right response? Beleorn shook his head remembering who her father was; if he were present he would have advised him against placing a weapon in her hands so early, but then again; precisely because he did, she was still alive. The table erupted in loud laughter when they watched a little elfling acting like a true solider.

"May we go try it now?" she asked hopeful, but the answer didn't come from Beleorn this time.

"No you may not Tauriel. This is your party and it would seem incredibly rude if you left your guests after some of them came a long way to see you and more are on their way. It is your duty to welcome them." the king replied from the other side of the table.

Tauriel knew his words to be true, but couldn't help feel disappointed a little. "Yes Hir nin." she said resigned; one more day wouldn't make much difference. She looked around before the rest of his sentence registered in his mind. "More? But I don't remember inviting anyone else." she asked trying to remember if she forgot anyone, but there was no one. She lowered her new precious possession back into the box before walking over to Legolas.

Thranduil just looked expressionless. "I have taken the liberty of inviting little Elethan and his parents when they were here." the king replied evenly gazing at her reaction. Legolas could almost feel her tension even though she was standing a foot away from him. She controlled her features before Legolas could read them on her face after taking a sharp silent breath and said nothing. The prince watched her face fall in worry, but she fought to keep up the appearances and mostly finished successful. She still appeared cheerful, but not as lighthearted and carefree as before. The prince was annoyed at his father, but didn't wish to speak to him while there were people present. Tauriel sat back on her chair placing the box in her lap while Laeorn sat on her other side. He too sensed the change of her spirits. Tauriel lead internal struggle; her face remained calm enough. Elethan would be fun to play with, but she desired not to see Elgrion and Ilithiel. Why did the king impose their presence to her? Was he intending to send her away? Is that why he was so kind with her these last few days; because soon she would be leaving them? Was he simply trying to appease his conscience. No, Legolas promised that he wouldn't send her away. She weighed her desire to see Elethan and her wish never to see his parents again. The latter desire won, but she was expected to bid them welcome so that was what she would be doing.

Only a few hours and then she would be free of their tormenting presence. She could handle that much. Little elleth knew how to be firm when she thought to be right. How she kept her emotions in control was hard to tell, but she had no desire to inflict more guilt to her friend so she pretended like there was nothing wrong at all; and the prince wasn't fooled.

No more than few minutes have passed from her resolution to the appearance of object of it. Tauriel stood up reluctantly to greet them. She was awarded by another hug from Ilithiel which she barely acknowledged; only out of politeness. Fortunately, her husband didn't think it necessary to do the same so once her duty was over she slightly relaxed. Elethan climbed into her open arms with confidence and tried to pull her hair. The pair gifted her with a dark green leather jacket and the matching belt, Tauriel received the gift and said everything that was appropriate. Legolas was polite, but only in appearance. He watched Tauriel with one eye noticing her mood shift. His father could have at least warned him of their coming; not that it would have made much difference.

Tauriel tried to talk as usual, but wasn't aware of her success. Fortunately, she had enough guests to keep herself occupied and Elethan to distract her and keep her hands full. Elgrion looked at her bow in interest so she found it polite to show him her gift; she even found herself mildly curious to hear his opinion on it. She exchanged a few words with Ilithiel as well, but apart from that avoided talking to either of them. Elethan still had problems with his balance so Tauriel found herself holding him by his hands and walking with him up and down the lawn. He was tireless and looked at all of the new faces with interest. Sometimes he would let out a few words which weren't recognizable and they would laugh. Elflings made one's life to be never dull.

Little Elethan seemed to eat everything Tauriel offered from the table once she was seated in her chair and he was planted in her lap. He opened his mouth widely to try the chestnuts, the early apples and everything that was new. Little elleth couldn't help, but grin at his adorable face. No matter how amusing he was, she still felt dread hidden in her heart. Thranduil talked to Elgrion who was seated on his other side. She could only hope that they weren't talking about her, but was fearful of it so she tried not to look at them and use little Elethan as an excuse to keep away from the table.

She kept Elethan in firm grasp while they walked together around the gardens. Sometimes, she would let him attempt to stand on his own. He would make two or three hesitant steps before losing his balance. Her arms would close around him securely when that happened. Neither his mother nor his father didn't seem to have trouble letting him out of their sight when Tauriel was with him. They couldn't imagine any harm coming to him from the elleth who saved his life.

Four guards excused themselves for it was time for their shift. Laeorn and Beleorn stayed much to Tauriel's delight and the one who was now off duty came as promised. He greeted the little elleth warmly and sat next to Beleorn who was on Laeorn's other side. Thranduil insisted that all guests that came from afar stay the night, but the farmers had to rise early so they politely declined the king's offer. The other elleth decided to go with them and Ninenath soon excused herself to go to sleep as well. Little ellon was drifting off to sleep in Tauriel's comforting embrace when Elgrion and Ilithiel tried to excuse themselves as well.

King put his foot down. "That is out of the question. I forbid an elfling to travel this late in the night under any circumstance. You shall stay in the guest chamber." Thranduil said with such authority that left no room for objections.

Tauriel felt even more dreadful when she realized they would be staying the night. Legolas was not pleased either, but he too saw the reason behind his father's words. It was too dangerous out there even in broad daylight let alone in the dark. One of the servants led them to the guest chambers and soon enough Beleorn and Laeorn excused themselves as well. Tauriel rose and caught the first before he could walk away.

He raised his brown eyebrow. "Tommorrow after the afternoon session and be punctual. I do not abide tardiness." Beleorn said fakely strict, but he got another response worthy of a real solider. They chuckled as they walked away to the guard wing.

Little elleth started packing her daily acquisitions as her last two guests rose from their seats. Tauriel was beyond surprised to see that the always busy king sat throughout her entire celebration without objection. "Ionneg I am off to sleep as well. Why don't you help your little friend?" he said about to excuse himself, but was stopped short when little arms wrapped around his waist yet again. "Hannon le for the wonderful celebration Hir nin." she said when he petted her head absently. "Good night to you as well." he simply stated before she released him and he walked away.

Legolas helped his friend with her packages wishing to speak to her, but she was completely silent. He hoped that it was just her exhaustion, but knew that wasn't the case. He left her box with bow and arrows on her vanity table and felt little arms wrap around his waist. He knelt and squeezed her in reassurance, but didn't know what to say. "Sleep well Tinu nin and throw all your troubling thoughts out of your pretty little head." he finally said looking at her significantly. She dared not look into his eyes as she kissed him on the cheek. He frowned, but kissed her back before excusing himself leaving her to her thoughts and reproaching himself for it at the same time.

 _Translations:_

 _Hir nin – My lord_

 _Ernil nin – My prince_

 _Mellon nin – My friend_

 _Hannon le – Thank you_

 _Guren glassui – Thank you from my heart_

 _Lasto tir, pinmaethril – Listen carefully little (female) solider_

 _Tinu nin – My little star_

 _Av'-Osto – Don't be afraid_

 _An ngell nin – Please_

 _Le nathlam – You are welcome_

 _Tolo – Come_

 _Ionneg – Son_

 _Ada – Father_

 _I 'ell nin – It is my pleasure_

 _Thand - Truly?_

 _Echulo – Wake up/Awake_

 _Savo 'lass a lalaith – Have joy and laghter_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **I am sorry for the delayed update, but I was on vacation and had no access to the internet.**_

 _ **I was also waiting for your reviews on the birthday chapter. There were so many questions related to that particular event that I was half expecting more feedback, but perhaps it didn't meet up to your expectations.**_

 _ **Thank you for your reviews. As to my faithful reader Jessica, I will try to oblige you though I am currently finishing up with the chapter 25 so don't expect any major changes before then.**_

 _ **I hope this chapter will give you pleasure.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **M.E.**_

 **CHAPTER 15**

Tauriel was emotionally and physically drained, but despite her exhaustion, sleep wouldn't come. Her mind kept working in overdrive tense after the visit of those two. She felt awful for treating them with such coldness, but they symbolized object of terror ever since the day when she saved their son. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? It took her hours to finally fall asleep, but her nightmares kept their grip on her already tormented mind.

They have changed however. She still dreamt about the mayhem she witnessed, but now her father had a face and it wasn't even his own face. It was the face of king Thranduil, but now her dreams got a whole new dimension once Legolas started appearing in them. In other circumstances, she would have found it comforting to dream about him, but it always evolved around her being taken away and screaming for him. This new fear would have made her parents' murders seem inoffensive if it wasn't for the fact that her father had the king's face.

Elgrion and Ilithiel stayed for breakfast. Legolas was pleased to be able to spare his friend from their presence this morning. Thranduil inquired after Tauriel, but his son had a ready answer. "She is still asleep, yesterday drained her energy." he informed his father not really sure if his words were true. He intentionally avoided checking on her this morning.

Thranduil didn't believe him, but his son thought it served him right after the surprise he gave them last night. He was polite enough to the couple and played with Elethan now that his friend's peace of mind was not endangered by their presence. Elethan was amusing enough to let him keep his temper under control. They discussed everyday matters with ease until the meal was over and the two finally left for their home.

"Hannon le for your hospitality Aran nin, tell little Tauriel that she will always be welcome in our home. We hope that she may visit us soon." Elgrion said with double meaning, but Legolas pretended not to notice any of it while he bid them farewell. "I will pass the message." the king replied in his cold serenity. Legolas waited for them to exit the palace before excusing himself.

"Ionneg, Tauriel is not asleep is she?" Thranduil stated as a fact rather than a question.

Legolas looked back unconcerned. "I do not know ada. I did not check up on her this morning." he replied evenly not sounding the least bit regretful.

"Do you not think you should let her make her own choices?" the king asked raising an eyebrow. There was no reproach in his tone, but Legolas couldn't really name what emotion it was.

"You mean as you did last night?" the prince asked half amused, he was lighthearted now that those two were gone.

"Tauriel didn't seem to mind their presence as much as you did. Are you protecting her or yourself?" his father asked unimpressed.

It was a fair question, but Legolas didn't allow himself to lose his confidence. "What did you expect her to do? Scold you, make a scene? She avoided them for most of the night. As for your other inquiry ada, it is always her wellbeing that I am worried about. I just managed to convince her that I would not send her away and imposing their presence on her doesn't help the matter. If she had a desire to invite them, she would have done so herself. I can't see the purpose of your actions. If you were trying to traumatize her, you are on a good path." Legolas replied in equal manner. He appeared to be completely calm; a true maneuver considering how disturbed he was by his father's actions.

"I simply believe that a company of another elfling will be beneficial for her even if she doesn't wish for a brother. If she gets to know them better, perhaps she wouldn't be so resistant to the idea. Is that what you are afraid of?" Thranduil replied pouring himself a cup of water while walking around the room.

Legolas gazed at him with one eye keeping a hard face. "Perhaps it will, but let her seek for it alone. If you try to force her into it, you could do more damage than good. It is not living with them which makes her resistant; it is leaving us; leaving me in particular. Her life already fell apart once; do you truly believe that destroying this one will be beneficial for her? She will grow without the ability to trust anyone. She was doing extraordinary well before those two came; she was starting to trust me. When she is ready to seek their company, I will personally take her to see Elethan, but not before. Will you please stop frightening her unnecessarily? She does harm to no one, she is just looking for a little comfort." he plead to his father hoping that at least for his benefit, he would stop interfering in this matter.

The king saw reason behind his arguments, he couldn't dispute that he was right in most aspects. With newly found compassion for both his son and his little friend he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Very well ionneg, I will let you do as you consider fit and despite what you may think, I am not that cruel to intentionally hurt such a little elfling." he replied when his son acknowledged the gesture by placing his hand across his father's. "Hannon le ada." he spoke grateful and hid a grin remembering that Tauriel would have hugged him by now. It was curious to watch the little elleth take confidences with his father that even he didn't dare take anymore.

* * *

Some invisible force awoke Tauriel on time for her meeting with Beleorn although she had slept through both morning and afternoon meal successfully. She didn't feel like eating anyway. Prospect of archery lesson gave her a reason to get up and dress. She decided to try on her new boots; she would have put a new jacket as well if it wasn't a reminder of the one who gave it to her. The guilt increased as she realized that she was having a silent revenge against a sweet couple who didn't even deserve her ill-will, but it was stronger than her.

Her preparations were finished soon enough; she observed herself in the mirror with a satisfied look gracing her face. Tauriel was not vain however; she simply admired the appearance of arrows on her shoulders and the bow in her hand. She was met by a patient looking Beleorn hoping that she was not late. He said nothing so she assumed she was on time.

When she took a stance in front of the target, she could not imagine greater satisfaction. Beleorn started the lecture from the beginning. At first, this seemed to annoy her, but this approach resulted to be efficient when she realized that her last lesson was with her father almost a full year ago. Her tutor explained to her which posture would be the most effective, how to position her feet and how to hold an arrow. Tauriel was too unfocused; not because she didn't find shooting interesting, but for the fact that many thoughts flew in her mind during the demonstration. That made her commit many errors; both before and after releasing her arrows which lead to her scolding herself and losing confidence in her abilities.

Beleorn never tried training such a small elfling so he was armed with a heavy arsenal of patience knowing that he couldn't expect the same progress with her as he did with other recruits. Her sight and aim impeccable, but she had short patience. "You are over thinking it Tauriel, archery is not like learning legends; it is a physical art based on instinct. That sensation is developed by a lot of practice; you are placing too much pressure on yourself. Pressure is good when you already acquire the skill to act on instinct, but right now it is your principal drawback." he explained after several dozens of missed targets and the equal number of fallen arrows under her feet. It would require a great amount of time to develop both precision and the optimal strength.

He tried to encourage her, but she seemed discouraged in despite of all his words. But he didn't guess the cause for her low spirits in the first place.

She was about to turn the corner and pass through the entrance hall when she heard unfamiliar voices talking about something in a hushed tone. Three guards stood by the stairs exchanging words with each other. It was rude to eavesdrop, but she heard her name being mentioned so she stood completely motionless making no sound.

 _I heard that they found a family for her; that couple with a little elfling from a few days ago._

 _Do you think that she will really go with them?_

 _I don't know; they were in the palace yesterday._

 _That's a shame, I was hoping to meet her and live to see the first female warrior._

 _You speak like your death is imminent, yet we are immortal._

 _Who can say? These are the dark times we are living in; no one's life is certain._

They passed to a different topic, but Tauriel wished to listen no more. She turned around on her heel and snuck out to the stables to find her new filly. Perhaps they would deprive her of her as well when they sent her away. What seemed like a mere doubt now turned to certainty in her eyes. They would send her away, so why did Legolas still assure her otherwise? Why the deception? Would he just keep her in the dark until it was no longer possible? _No, I'm not leaving while I can impede it unless it's for the halls of Mandos._ She contemplated ashamed of herself for even having such thoughts after what her parents did to make sure she remained on this world. Her survival seemed like a cosmic joke, did she live only so she would plead for death before it came?

Little restless filly amused her for an hour while she set free such dark thoughts. She took her arrows and placed her bow beside her as she sat on the floor outside the stables. Even those weapons which brought her such joy yesterday now seemed false. The king promised to consider her request to join his guard if she studied hard and showed patience. Wasn't she holding to her part of the bargain? She placed effort in her studies; she did not complain or demonstrate impatience. So what was he trying to punish her for? The wind blew as anticipated, but little elleth didn't pay attention. It wasn't like the cold could make her kind ill or anything.

The freezing wind was almost welcoming; it reflected the same sensation on her skin which she felt under it. The hours passed in silence, the stable boy passed her a couple of times not looking mildly surprised to see her sitting there. Tauriel gazed at the stars not caring how early or late it was. They were as magnificent as ever, but tragic in a way.

Eventually, little elleth drifted to sleep leaning her head on the wall while the wind blew forcefully eventually weakening to a soft breeze. Legolas barely touched his food as he noticed that his little friend didn't join them for morning, afternoon and evening meal. That was when he knew that there was something wrong; not just for her lack of presence, but for her deteriorated mood.

He knew his father had no evil intentions, but the result made him reproach him in silence of his mind. As soon as he exited the dinning parlor; he went looking for Beleorn and Laeorn. The latter was patrolling around the palace and could not give him intelligence on their friend and Beleorn was in his chamber. "We had an archery practice, but it ended hours ago. I haven't seen the little warrior since then." he said watching prince's troubled face.

"Perhaps she is sulking in her bedroom. The lesson went without much progress, she was too tense to focus on one thing so she looked a little low-spirited." he added hoping to give him some peace of mind, but he only shook his head as he walked to her room knowing that her low spirits were not owned to her archery.

Her room was empty which made his anxiety increase so he made his way to the stables. Perhaps she would be more willing to look for an animal comfort today. His instinct was proven right when the stable boy informed him that she was outside. He found her sleeping in the sitting position by the wall with her bow and arrows beside her. She must have been here for hours if she came straight from the training grounds.

He made no sound as he came next to her to touch her forehead and sure enough; her skin was very frozen. His skilled hands lifted her up after he made sure to bring her arrows on his back. She was asleep, but her hands unconsciously wrapped around his neck without their usual strength.

The first instinct was to take her to her bedroom, but as he climbed up the stairs, he changed his mind and continued towards his chambers instead. Once the frozen state started to wear off, she begun to shiver slightly so he embraced her trying to provide her with much needed warmth.

Much like before, he took off her boots and placed her gently on his bed covering her with two thick blankets in attempt to keep her warm. Once he took off his own boots, weapons, and jacket and unbraided his hair, he lay next to her hugging her tight once he realized she was still cold. A few minutes passed and she went completely still on his chest. He traced soft circles over her head for a while before he too fell asleep.

Nightmares kept coming the entire night, but none made her stir or wake up until morning when she woke the prince up as well. She was sleeping next to him after they lost contact unconsciously during the course of the night. He was already half way between sleep and reality when he saw her move her hands. At first he thought she was awake so he opened his eyes to bid her good morning only to find her eyes closed as she reached for something invisible and cold sweat dripped from her forehead to the tip of her nose. In her dream she was screaming, but only barely coherent mumbles escaped her lips as she reached for her friend not aware that he was right next to her. "Please don't leave." she mumbled moving her arms faster and faster like that would make him come back.

She felt something warm in her hands, a strong yet gentle hand. She couldn't distinguish dream from reality in her delirious state, but she heard a comforting voice calling for her. "Tauriel, echulo it's alright you are safe, amin naa sinome." he plead into her ear as he got hold of both of her hands watching her open her eyes disoriented.

Once her arms stopped waving around aimlessly, he released them and stroked her cheek instead. "Tauriel, Tauriel." he called her name trying to wake her up from whatever horrible dream she was trapped in. He knew he succeeded when she jerked upright, much like that one time he remembered so well. "It's alright, it's alright." he chanted caressing her face wiping away the sweat as her eyes started to focus on him and her breathing started to even out.

Tauriel blinked away the rest of sleepiness and tried to make sense out of everything. This was her friend's room; how did she end up here and when did she fall asleep? She vaguely remembered the stables and the cold wall. She hasn't seen Legolas yesterday, so what was she doing here? "I'm fine." she finally said becoming aware of the fact that she just woke from another nightmare in front of the last person she wished to be seen by.

She sat up turning away from him trying to get hold of her expression. "We both know that is a lie. So why the deception?" he asked reaching to caress her hair, but stopping short.

"I could ask you the same question." she replied after all the events came flooding back to her mind and she grabbed control of her voice.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked perplexed standing up from his bed while she stripped her boots back on after throwing him a look which contained something; anger, hurt, reproach? It was hard to place it.

She stood up as well. "Just forget it. You have enough matters to worry about which are much more important than me." Tauriel replied fixing her outfit in a hurry to get out of this room.

Before she made half a step, a strong yet gentle hand caught her around the elbow impeding her to move anywhere. "You're not leaving this room until we discuss this. I am your friend." he said in stern yet soothing voice.

"Friend." she laughed in irony at the word turning around to face him. "You have a curious concept of that word. Friends don't tell lies to each other. Friends don't make promises they do not intend to keep!" she replied after he released her hand raising her voice slightly.

At least she had no urge to cry; she was simply furious; at Legolas; at his father; at the world. "When mellon, when did I tell you something that wasn't truth, when was I not true to my word?" he asked keeping his temper in check knowing that angering himself would only lead to a greater conflict.

Tauriel kept her hysterics under control. "You promised that we would stay together, that you would not send me away! You promised that I was not leaving your side unless I wished it. Did you feel sorry for me, is that why you deceived me?" she asked not shouting in the full sense of that word, but her anger was visible on her face as he breathing sped up.

"Did I not keep my word, did we not stay together?" he replied with clear emotion, but refrained from raising his voice knowing that she needed comfort not discipline right now.

"I thought so as well until those two showed up here like they were waiting for me or something. The whole palace seems to know this. I hear guards discussing this in the corridors. Everyone knows it apart from me! When were you planning on informing me? Before or after you have taken me there, probably by deceit. I trusted you!" she kept her emotions in check until the last sentence.

Legolas waited for her to finish patiently wishing to understand what was on her mind. Every word stabbed him deeper and deeper, but he was not angry. She was afraid; no she was terrified. The storm seemed to be over for now so he spoke up.

"First of all, I didn't know that my father invited them until he said so in front of you. I would not have permitted it if I had a say in the matter. Do you truly believe me capable of deceiving you like that? Does it really take so little to sway your trust in me mellon? Do you not know me at all? Why do you trust the rumors and not me?" he asked approaching her slowly; she wasn't crying, but she looked pale and disoriented without moving for a long while.

His voice seemed to influence her presence of mind. She saw the logic behind his accusations and for the first time didn't know what to say to him or what to do. At least the tears were at bay for now, but for how long.

He picked her up effortlessly. "Why does my little mellon suffer in silence when I am right here to chase all the bad things away? Why does she not come to me? Did she not listen to a word I said when this topic was brought up first? Tauriel, I want you here. It is probably selfish from my part, but you gave new meaning to my life. My father said that I should not deprive you of your choices, but I care for you too much to do that. Goheno nin for my selfishness, but I am not allowing you to walk out of my life while I can avoid it. I am taking that option away." he half whispered to her ear drawing little circles on her back.

She made her grip impossibly stronger while the silent tears escaped her eyes and she cried on his comforting shoulder yet again. He chanted a soothing lullaby in her ears to calm her down feeling warm in his heart though it still bled for her pain. He sat on his bed not changing her position in any way; waiting for her to calm down. "Hannon le. An ngell nin goheno nin." she finally said after some time. He kissed her hair in reassurance. "U-moe edaved." he replied with a sad smile.

"I don't want to see them ever again." she said surprising herself with her own honesty still holding her head on his shoulder.

"You won't unless that is your wish. Anyone who tries to impose their presence on you will answer to me including my own father. Now an ngell nin wipe your tears. There is no cause for your suffering." he replied squeezing her tighter to affirm his words before placing her to sit in his lap and face him.

Tauriel got hold of her expression, but there was still something on it that held her friend in anxiety. It was impossible to name it; perhaps even she did not know the word for it. He wished that she would stop concealing her fears from him, but considered it right to let her come to him when she is ready to share them. Time would teach her to trust him and once she does, she would come to him.

He felt a hand on his face while he drifted off into his silent musings. The prince blinked returning the little eleth's face into his immediate focus. Her eyes were wide open in wonderment; she looked at him like the first time she laid her eyes upon him. "What?"He asked giving her a small confused smile.

Her hand moved to his silky blonde hair instead of replying immediately. He enjoyed her tender touch letting her have the time to formulate her answer. Elves weren't very physical beings. They often used a comforting hand or a casual tap on the back among good friends, but rarely demonstrated such open affection. Elflings of course did not follow that silent rule, as they grew it was a custom which was gradually adopted. Physical contact between lovers was also welcome, in that aspect elves were very physical creatures; they had an inclination to love passionately. Elleths were usually more inclined to physical contact when little. Even when they grew, the confidence of such interaction between family members was highly gratifying, but again female elves were usually the ones to take initiative at such contacts.

Legolas closed his eyes enjoying the warm comforting hands. No elleth showed him such affection after his naneth passed away. He was a male anyway and his hugging phase didn't last for long. Even while it lasted, his father was the only one to dare take such confidence with him. Other elves always viewed him more like the prince then like a friend. That doesn't mean he did not have true friends like his captain, but even their friendship was lead by respect. Tauriel was the first child he ever saw in his short life. There were very little elflings among the Eldar which was why every single one of them was considered an even greater blessing.

His lack of experience with little ones made him a little unprepared for taking care of one, but he accepted the challenge with pleasure. At first he thought that it would require a lot of work to teach her, but he found himself enjoying that effort. Her presence made all of it worthwhile.

"I've never seen your hair loose before. You look..."Tauriel suddenly interrupted herself in midsentence, her cheeks going slightly pink before she looked away embarrassed.

Prince's curiosity was renewed upon her discomfort. "Tell me."He opened his eyes with his voice full of persuasion.

"It's too embarrassing." She replied shaking her head hiding a grin.

"I still want to know."He pointed out hiding his amusement. "Tell me." He silently commanded provoking her to disobey him.

Tauriel sighed in defeat. "Fine. What I wanted to say is that you look more beautiful than as per usual." She said in one breath before she stopped breathing altogether waiting tense for his reaction.

He chuckled lightheartedly. "Hannon le Tinu nin. I'm sorry I can't keep it loose always, but it's not practical. Come along now, we have a long day ahead of us. Why don't you take your arrows to your room and meet me downstairs for breakfast when you're done?"He asked placing her on her feet. He wondered how long he had until he could no longer lift her up as easy as he was able to now. He stopped a sad sigh from escaping his chest upon realizing how fast would she grow up and join the guard which he was still reluctant to admit to himself would happen.

 _Translations:_

 _Ada – Father_

 _Ionneg – Son_

 _Aran nin – My king_

 _Hannon le – Thank you_

 _Echulo – Awake_

 _Amin naa sinome – I'm here_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Goheno nin – Forgive me_

 _An ngell nin goheno nin – Please forgive me_

 _Tinu nin – My little star_

 _U-moe edaved – There's nothing to forgive_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Dear reafers,**_

 _ **Thank you for your continued support.**_

 _ **I see that you have been busy with reviews and I hope you will keep up with your valuable feedback.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **M.E.**_

 **CHAPTER 16**

Tauriel dragged her feet to her room once she quit her friend's chambers. Involuntarily, the doubts kept tormenting her mind uninvited like they were trying to terminate with what was left of her sanity. Why couldn't she simply trust her friend?

Her heart was divided between guilt, fear and love. Neither of those feelings could take the upper hand. It was necessary to find a culprit for this uncertainty, this fear that kept invading her veins without any right. Once she sat on her bed motionless, she tried to remember when her mood began to deteriorate. It all went back to that day when she saved Elethan from firstly orcs that pursued him and then from drowning. No she couldn't place blame on such an innocent creature, her heart tore in self-reproach as she did. She tried to do so with his parents, but they were so noble that this gave the same result.

Maybe Legolas had a point; maybe she would have been happy with them. No, that couldn't happen either, leaving him would destroy her more than anything else in this world. The full weight of her wraith fell upon the orcs. If they haven't attacked an innocent child, she would have never met that family; those who were kind in heart and made her feel miserable for refusing them, but her bliss upon staying with her friend was unrivaled.

Those thoughts lead her to think about him; the one who always took care of her; always made himself available when she needed him. The accusations she inflicted in his face made her wish to die before speaking them with such venom. Now she wished that he did not care for her; for that would make him immune to such offences.

However, he did care for her which made her heart warm and guilty at the same time. She wished she was able to vow to herself never to speak such words in his presence again, but she knew that she had no control over her mouth at times. There was something about him that made her wish to cry on his shoulder, he would make her vulnerable. _He doesn't do it because he wants to hurt me. He cares for me; does it truly hurt him that I hide things from him?_ She thought trying to encourage herself to speak, to tell him everything that tormented her, but she couldn't make herself do it. No, if he truly cared for her; this would plague his mind as well. The nightmares will pass, they have to.

Suddenly, she came to realization that he would be waiting for her downstairs. How long was she lost in these contemplations? She rushed to change her clothes and braid her hair. It took her a minute to decide what to wear. Her mind fell upon her presents. Her new boots were stripped in place and she put on her new dark red long-sleeved tunic. Her gaze fell upon another package, but she recoiled from it like it would burn her.

Even with the blame placed on orcs; she couldn't stop fearing the mere image of Ilithiel, Elgrion and their son. She hid the package in the back of her closet not wishing to see it. It was cowardly of her to do so, but it gave her some peace of mind. Her eyes fell upon the horn of Mirkwood; this she could do for her friend. After everything she put him through, this was something she would do for his peace of mind. When everything was where it should be; she quickly grabbed her usual jacket; not that it would be needed today, but better safe than sorry.

Legolas did not realize what was in Tauriel's head when she quit his chambers. She tried to act somewhat normal when she stopped crying. He knew that something was still bothering her, but it was hard to say what or to what extension. He was done dressing and braiding his own hair much before Tauriel even started to do the same, but he went downstairs as agreed. Upon fixing his hair; little elleth's comment came to his mind. He was not vane, but still hearing it from someone so honest was refreshing. Her childlike innocence brought him good mood and lightness of heart.

At the bottom of the staircase, he was greeted by Laeorn. "Did you find our little mellon last night? I was more attentive in my patrol after our brief audience, but she was nowhere in sight." He asked after addressing him as usual.

The prince was too worried for his little friend to remember to send him a word. "I did; she was asleep outside. Speaking of which; keep a close eye on the guards. I don't want any indiscretions from their part that could upset our little friend." He replied looking at the captain significantly before continuing his way to the dinning parlor and not surprising himself upon seeing his father already seated in his chair.

"Good morning ionneg. You're up later than usual." His father greeted him as he made his way to his usual place.

"Morning ada; I can't find much good in it however." Legolas replied leaning back in his chair looking a little paler than usual.

Thranduil scanned him in silence for a moment. "Did something happen?" he asked in his usual manner after making certain that there was nothing seriously wrong with his son.

Did something happen? It was a question that required a debate. "It was something I was expecting already only it happened later than I anticipated. Still, I realized one can't really be prepared for all side effects." He replied playing with his fork for pure amusement.

King contemplated his words. "It's like I said, it's something that drains your energy without necessity. What did your little friend do to make you upset this time?" he replied trying to make him see his point of view now that he was tired. It was more a tease than anything else; he knew what the answer would be.

"She is not to blame, I am ada. She accused me of breaking my promises and I can't even be angry at her for it because that is what it looks like. I promised her that she would stay here with me; and yet those impostors come with a different intention. I informed her that leaving me was not an option even if it were her wish." He replied taking a sip of water wondering why his friend was delayed.

His father pierced him with a gaze, but spoke in usual manner. "What happened to letting her make her own choices?" he asked coldly looking at his son while pretending to gaze somewhere far away.

Legolas had a ready answer. "My first mistake was to place that choice before her. I kept telling her that this palace is her home and that those who inhabit it are her family. Families don't give their elflings choices to abandon them if they wish. If I keep contradicting myself; she will think I am a liar on top of everything else. She needs stability in her life." He said watching his father knowing that he is listening.

"You will do well to remind her that you are my son and the prince of this kingdom. She is not your equal Legolas, do not spoil her like that is the case. You are too lenient on her. She needs to learn the norms, the discipline and some manners." Thranduil replied only half looking in his direction knowing his words would not have a desired effect on his son.

He wasn't wrong. "You think I should discipline her on top of everything else? She is eight years of age, she just lost her parents and only Iluvatar knows how much mayhem did she witness so far. She is just afraid; I can't scold her for that." Legolas replied with apparent disbelief in his tone choosing to ignore his first sentence; they had oppressed opinions on that subject and the young prince knew they would never agree about that matter.

The king did not have time to reply before the topic of this discussion walked into the room. It was hard to say whether she heard something or not, but she said nothing and Legolas couldn't asses her mood for it was deteriorated for a long while. "Tolo little mellon." he said using his usual manner of conversation. It was unbelievable how his own father's presence seemed to darken his mood even if he was completely silent.

Tauriel climbed into her chair next to the prince without hesitation. Once the meal was served she served herself not paying much attention to what she put on her plate. Hunger didn't play any part in her sudden boost of appetite; it was affection to her friend. She wished for him to stop troubling himself over her lack of appetite.

They ate in complete silence for a while; neither of them inclined to speak. Tauriel chewed her food automatically without feeling its taste. Her prince friend observed her from the corner of his eye to make sure she was eating, but left her to eat in peace slightly more at ease when he saw that she was eating again.

When they were done with the meal, Legolas left to attend to his duties after he gave his little friend something for reading. Once he was gone from view, she took it outside and climbed a tree to read it in peace. Soft breeze on her face was quite enjoyable. She noticed she barely saw any guard whole morning hoping that they wouldn't go hunt spiders without informing her, but the prince was usually with the hunting party and he was still in the palace.

The book amused her for a long while; it contained a lot about the history of their kin; the first elves ever to walk Arda. Tauriel found it difficult to believe that such stories could be written on so many pages, but was entranced by its content pouring in every word not knowing how much of all this was believable. Perhaps, she could ask the king. After all, he was several thousand years old. She wondered whether it would be incredibly rude to ask her ruler for his age. The mere thought made her shudder. Even though she wasn't afraid of him; she knew where the line between permitted and forbidden regarding to his highness was.

She found it hard to part from the book, but she made a promise to herself that she would attend all the meals if she was in the palace at meal time. It was her original plan to go to the village and visit her friends in order to show them their gifts, but something made it impossible today so she sighed and continued her way.

Thranduil and little Tauriel ate in complete silence as usual. Legolas was not present and she did not dare ask anyone where he could be found at this hour. When he was available, he would come for her. Little elleth knew she was monopolizing his time often and felt selfish about it, but his presence was her greatest comfort. This would have to stop soon or his father won't be as lenient as he is now.

Once her silent meal was over, she decided to look for Beleorn. If there were spider attacks or orc raids, he usually chose to stay in the palace. However, he was nowhere to be found either. Her heart sank; she felt abandoned. It was a foolish notion considering how many guards were trudging up and down the stairs, but the only ones she considered true friends were Legolas, Laeorn and Beleorn. The captain was usually with the prince so she didn't even bother to go check whether he was here.

Her book wasn't dropped for a second; she carried it to her meal and from one room to another until she decided to go sit in the library; a very strange action for the restless little elleth. Before another couple of hours; the book could no longer amuse her so she took it with her downstairs to the stables. She had read through half of it anyway and her friend only gave her two chapters to go through today.

Her first thought was to go and see her white friend and spoil him, but he was nowhere in sight. So the prince must have ridden him out; probably a long journey since he rarely used him in official business. _Why does it have to be business? Perhaps he just wished to enjoy the scenery by himself or perhaps he found someone he wished to spend his time with as well._ Tauriel's mind reproached her. Why did she assume she was the center of his universe? Her hands amused themselves with spoiling her new filly and her mother.

Her evening meal passed in complete silence; not because she was eating alone with the king, but because she was alone; completely alone. Her heart sank again; she hasn't seen a single soul for almost an entire day unless she counted the guards who couldn't really be considered as company for they were always silent. She barely touched her food. Her friend was not here so she considered it completely purposeless to act like she had appetite.

Her step wasn't as swift as usual and her expression was not concealed for there was no one to conceal it from. She barely watched her way almost passing one of her friends without noticing that he was standing right there looking at her. She would have probably done so if he didn't speak up. "Good evening little mellon. Where did your mind take you now?" the brown haired captain with dark brown eyes asked from two steps behind her.

Tauriel almost jumped out of her skin, but stopped herself before making an inappropriate and loud reaction. "Mellon." She exclaimed running back to him and hugging him around the waist keeping her faithful book companion in one of her hands. She got an affectionate tap on the back in response.

"What are you up to? " He asked smiling to himself. "I was going to do some more reading; it's not like there is anything else to be done today. I haven't seen a soul after breakfast unless you count those guards at the door that seem to have an oath to stay silent forever." She replied shrugging her shoulders upon releasing him.

Seeing at least one of her friends made her heart a little warmer. "They don't have an oath to stay silent forever little mellon; only when they're on duty. Yes, many guards left north to our northern guarding posts. They spotted a division of orcs and asked for reinforcements. Prince is there since morning and the king joined him a few hours later. They probably won't be back for a couple of days. I was ordered to remain in the palace." Laeorn informed his little restless friend knowing what she wanted to know even without her saying it out loud. She visibly tensed at the mention of orcs and her friend being in battle.

"I wish I could be there with them to guard my friend's back." Tauriel mused sadly imagining a few different yet disturbing scenarios of the outcome. She had to try and chase those images from her mind.

"You will be one day mellon; a few more years is a mere blink in the lives of the Eldar." Laeorn encouraged her sunken spirits.

Tauriel just shook her head. "If Aran Thranduil ever accepts me into his guard." She replied with a hint of defeat in her spirits and also pessimism.

Her friend dropped down to her height. "Why do you doubt that he will?" he asked trying to reason with her, but she was too resigned for his liking.

"He doesn't like the idea; that much I can see and I don't want him to oblige me because he feels sorry for me either. I want to prove to him that I am serious; that I am not afraid." She replied barely present; at least in mind.

"You do everyday mellon. Beleorn believes in you; that is why he gifted you with a bow. You have the instincts and the attitude of a soldier, but you must understand that you are far too young for any serious training. King has traditional beliefs, but he is not closed to the idea of training an elleth in the guard like I thought he would be."

"What about the prince?" Tauriel countered noticing where the hole in his arguments was.

Laeorn just laughed quietly with a sigh. "The prince is very resistant to the idea of training you to be a soldier." He finally admitted while Tauriel sat on a stair while her spirits sunk further down. At least the captain was honest with her always.

He sat next to her unconcerned. "The prince is resistant to giving you any training because he knows that one day you will become a fearsome warrior if we do." He added knowing that she was listening.

Her confused eyes met his with a quizzical eyebrow. The captain was contradicting his own words. "That doesn't make any sense." She finally admitted perplexed.

How did she not understand this yet? Perhaps it was simply insecurity in her power over their prince, but Laeorn was not blind to it. "Do you not see Tauriel? He is afraid to train you because he doesn't wish to place you in harm's way. He is afraid that one day you will become a warrior and that he will lose you for it. He cares about you." He explained with a grin that wasn't really appropriate for this conversation.

He watched different emotions cross her face; the doubt appearing often. Laeorn sighed knowing that it would be hard to convince her that she meant something to someone.

Tauriel hid every negative emotion from her face knowing that Laeorn could read her like a book. "Where is Beleorn anyway?" she finally asked after a few minutes of silence.

"He is giving the new recruits some field training. This company is a set of immature little children if you ask me, but if he wants to waste his time, it's his to throw away." Laeorn replied with something like annoyance. How awkward, Tauriel never saw her friend annoyed or angry for that matter.

Little elleth laughed a little at his comment. They must be truly horrible if they managed to step on the captain's foot already. "Can I ask you a question mellon?" she asked going serious so Laeorn knew it was something uncomfortable. "You can ask mellon, but I can't promise to answer your every question." He replied cautiously sensing something complicated coming up.

"How did the queen die?" she asked after a minute of contemplation.

Laeorn made no impulsive or loud reaction; he just gulped and sighed. "Very few know that story and I'm afraid I'm not one of those. King does not speak of it; not to a living soul and certainly not to his son. Legolas was a small elfling when it happened. Aran Thranduil adored his wife and when they were blessed with a son, there was no happier elf alive. He would have followed her to the halls of Mandos, but his love for him kept him alive. I do not know how it happened mellon and even if I did; it wouldn't be my story to tell." He replied choosing his words carefully. No one ever dared speak about it.

Tauriel's heart broke for her friend even if all of this happened a couple of decades ago. There was no one who could understand such loss better than her. The king also shined in new light after this knowledge.

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Aran – King_

 _Tolo – Come_

 _Ada – Father_

 _Ionneg - Son_


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

Two solitary nights passed in anxiety. Whatever it was that happened out there was much more serious than the captain informed his little friend. Orcs were ruthless and brutal, Beleorn was with his immature division of recruits there as well, but Laeorn dared not share that particular piece of information with Tauriel.

The attack was successfully prevented, but the victory had its price. Two elves were en their route to lord Mandos and another dozen were heavily injured fighting for their life. Messenger arrived to inform the captain to prepare the healers and that they would be returning before the sun sets. Beleorn came back with the messenger leading his line of exhausted recruits who received only minor injuries.

Tauriel was not fortunately present to see this and the captain knew that this was not a sight for an elfling so the early return of his friend came like an opportune blessing. The two were silent as they exchanged a few words. Laeorn returned to organizing the healing ward and Beleorn went inside.

Little elleth just fed her little filly who seemed to be in a playful mood. This relieved some of her anxiety, but something in her chest didn't give her peace. A dreadful sensation overcame her now and then while she tried to remain reasonable and stop imagining bad outcomes.

"Lasto tir, pinmaethiril! It's time for practicing, you've been resting your eyes long enough." A male voice came from the door making her jerk around in shock. Once the initial feeling wore off; she squealed and went to embrace him. He accepted her affection for a minute before returning to his official manner.

"Okay enough of petting, it's time for action. I'm making my way to the training grounds and you better be ready and armed by the time I get there!" he roared at her playfully while she went to her battle mode and ran out of the stables in haste to find her bow and arrows.

She did not remember to ask any questions which was the entire purpose of this little act. He made deliberate steps to his destination. Tauriel was quick so he knew she would be there before him and was required not to give her any time for speaking.

He wasn't wrong; his little warrior was already in place and ready for action. In truth, he found out that it was enough to keep her eyes busy because she didn't even realize that he arrived straight from the battlefield. Nevertheless, Beleorn decided to be more aggressive today in order to make her focus with greater efficiency,

He repeated the lecture from the last time over and over again to make her mind memorize it like a song. "Focus pinmaethril, imagine that there's an enemy standing before you. If you let your mind wander while you fight, you will be dead before you can even shoot your arrow." He said after a couple of hours. Perhaps anger would be a trigger to unleashing her potential.

Tauriel tried hard to follow his advice, but she was still too harsh on herself which made her lose patience quickly. This affected her aim as well so she missed more often than she hit on the right spot. Before their session was over however, she managed to hit the target a few times though very remote from its center. Beleorn tried to both encourage her and teach her how to do it right, but he knew the progress would be very deliberate. Hitting unmoving target was only the first stadium of archery skill. Before she would be able to shoot an orc, she would need to learn how to move correctly otherwise her aim would serve little purpose and she would be exposed to an open attack.

It was late evening when they finished their lesson; there was hardly any point in going to the dinning chamber which was Beleorn's plan all along. He didn't know whether the guards arrived back from the woods, but at least the hour was late for his little student to wander outside. The injured would be brought to the healing ward anyway.

"The hour is late. If you're hungry I'll go to the kitchens and tell them to bring you something to your room. "He said after they arrived to her bedchamber.

Tauriel shook her head. "No I'm good. Perhaps, I'll just read for a bit and then go to sleep." She replied with a sunken heart after realizing that her friend would be gone for another night. This was the longest absence they had since they met.

"Alright, good night pinmaethril. I will find you tomorrow." He replied turning to walk away, but before he made three steps, she spoke again.

"Good night and hannon le." She replied, but by the time he turned around, she was already in her bedroom taking off her weapons. It took her hours to fall asleep while reading her book under the light of the stars that came from the window. Once she was asleep, the night passed like any other night, but at least she remained somewhat tranquil and nothing was too horrible to wake her up.

The palace seemed incredibly quiet when she woke up next morning. It looked like pure coincidence before, but with every moment that passed, something seemed more and more out of place. Three nights since she saw her friend passed and yet Laeorn spoke of small orc raid. Would he intentionally hide the truth from her? There was nothing that Tauriel despised more than lies. If they didn't wish to tell her; there was a lot of ways to discover it for herself. Would Beleorn try to distract her again? Would she let him?

The answer was negative; whatever it was that occurred back there, she had the right to be informed of it. With such a resolution; she got dressed in haste and left her room trying to avoid any unwelcome interceptions. She made her way through the palace like a shadow; not finding anything out of ordinary apart from the fact that there were barely any guards in sight.

She did not dare visit the throne room. If the king were here; it was rude to eavesdrop and if he wasn't, she had no business in his throne room whatsoever. She made her way to the stables and found her friend's white steed and the king's elk sleeping comfortably. They must have arrived some time yesterday while she was with Beleorn in the training grounds. _Now I see it all clear. He was just a distraction to keep me away from their return, but why? If he knew that there was something wrong, he must have been at the scene all along._ Tauriel contemplated unamused by what conclusions this was driving her to.

Something clicked in her mind like a puzzle once she found the missing piece. Maybe there were injured elves or even those who died. This registered in her little mind increasing her fear that something happened that they didn't want to notify her about. The prince's face came to her thoughts filling her with sudden coldness. With renewed determination, she made her way to the healing ward making sure to stay out of sight. If they didn't think fit to share the events with her; they probably didn't want her to see them either.

She encircled the healing ward and came from the side of the forest where there was no one to impede her from walking in. Before she did so, the commotion on the other side made her stop in her tracks and observe. Smoke started to rise from the clearing; it was visible from her current position so she needed not moving much in order to get a good look. Two funeral pyres were burning making her shake in horror. Her dread became bigger when she saw that one of the dead was her friend; the one she invited to her birthday celebration only a week ago. It took everything she had to control the sudden burst of emotions at the sight.

Her hand fell over her mouth before she could act on impulse and scream. Silently, she made her way back to the forest making sure to stay far out of sight. Tears were not a threat, but her heart still felt like it would jump out of her chest.

There was no particular direction of her walk, she just wanted to get away from here. Was this how her parents were buried as well? Did they turn to ash like her friend? At least now it was possible for her to think of them as a pile of ash since they had no face anyway. Legolas seemed unharmed however which made her stay sane for a time. His father also didn't look injured. It was her desire to see him and comfort him, but if he wished for her company, he would seek her out.

It was twiight when she finally returned home. There was still no one to scold her for her late arrival. Only living souls she encountered apart from the animals, were guards who stood at the entrance at all times and they did not speak. Once again, she made her way to the dinning parlour to pretend like she was interested in her meal and once again her food almost stood untouched. After her lonely meal she made her way up the stairs though she had no idea to where.

Candlesticks lighted her way through mildly obscure corridors as she wandered without aim or destination. Suddenly, she felt exhausted and sat on a lonely step looking at her whereabouts in an attempt to pinpoint her current position. It seemed unfamiliar to her, she was fairly sure that her bedroom and the royal wing weren't in this section of the palace. She placed a hand around the fence trying to stay awake. Physically, she was more or less full of energy, but her emotions sent her mind to a sleep like state while she grieved the loss of her newly found friend.

It was like daydreaming with open eyes; she paid no attention to her surroundings in the slightest which is why his sudden voice startled her. "This is a strange place to dwell in little warrior at this time of night." a tall silver blonde elf spoke up.

She came out of her trance to acknowledge his presence. "Hir Vuin." she replied when her feet sustained her again.

The king only looked at her for a long while making her slightly uncomfortable. "The hour is late. It is time for sleep." he finally said waiting for her to come forward.

Her feet seemed unwilling to move. "Did, did the orcs kill them?" she finally asked after retrieving her usual tone or so she thought.

Her friend's eyes watched her through the king with unreadable emotion. "They died fulfilling their duty. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten." he replied after a sigh giving no direct answer to her question, but she knew. She loathed those foul creatures more than anything else in this dark world. They seemed to destroy everything that was good and pure.

"Tolo, the grief will pass and he will become no more then a memory until you meet again." he motioned her to aproach which she reluctantly did looking down at her own feet hiding her face from her observer's keen eyes which seemed to penetrate the very depths of her soul.

To her surprise, strong arms lifted her up into a tight embrace. She did not protest or look at his face, but simply hugged him around the neck and rested her head on his shoulder like she was acustomed to with his son. Before two minutes passed, she was drifting off into unconciouness with soothing fingers caressing her hair.

It has been almost six days since she last saw her friend, but Tauriel still deliberated on whether or not to go seek him out. He has been greatly missed and if the little elleth was lead simply by her own wishes; she would have run straight to his chamber. Only impediment on fulfilling such a scheme was the thought that maybe he wanted some space of his own. The fallen guard was his friend for much longer than hers; maybe he wanted to grieve by himself.

After a long deliberation, she finally made up her mind. He claimed they were friends and friends didn't let each other grieve in sollitude. With such notion, little elleth hit the road or rather the corridor to his room hoping that he was there.

"Minno." a soft yet distant voice summoned when she knocked on his door. Tauriel came in a little anxcious, but never afraid of her friend. He barely acknowledged her presence with a sad smile that didn't reach his cheeks, but made no single move to stand up. He sat on his bed looking at nowhere in particular.

His hair fell free across his shoulders the way she liked it best. He was truly beautiful, like her own personal star. She could sit days only to observe him and never get enough of it, but his face wasn't in sync with his appearance. It was a tearless mourn for his friend. Tauriel never imagined that angels could cry either.

Legolas was greatly grieved, but yesterday's mayhem brought back the memories of his own mother. No word about it passed through his father's lips ever since it occured, but her absence was felt without a need for its vocal acknowledgement. His eyes barely gazed upon his friend as she moved about his chamber. Her presence was comforting, but it didn't take away the sorrow.

Two unusally strong, yet gentle little arms wrapped around his shoulders from his back. If he was surprised, he didn't demonstrate it in any way. Warm lips kissed his cheek with such emotion that he almost felt the urge to cry. This woke him up from his little trancelike state. His friend didn't speak for which he was grateful. She didn't even begin to understand how her presence soothed his grief.

Her chin rested on his right shoulder without any voluntary command on either side. His hands found hers and held them seeking for her warm aura. They didn't look at each other or anywhere in particular. Occasionally, her lips would find his cheek and he would unconciously caress the back of her head in return.

Two friends shared their silent grief in this manner for a while. Minutes or hours could have passed and neither of them would care; for it was comfortale silence; now that they were together. Tauriel didn't know what trigerred her friend's awareness of the rest of the world, but suddenly his eyes refocused and she sensed the change in his posture. "Manen ceril?" she asked speaking into his shoulder.

"I don't know." Legolas replied gazing into the distance once again. Her arms released his shoulders, but the prince was not ready to let go. Before Tauriel realized what was happening, his instict took over and he half turned to drag her down to his lap so he could embrace her again. Little elleth was stunned at what he was doing and the speed in which he did it, but not unwilling.

When two strong arms crushed her to his chest and her own legs wrapped around his waist; she desired for nothing more even upon realizing that his grip would probably leave a bruise or two by tommorow. He kissed her cheek, than the top of her head while he breathed in her beautiful scent. It was like a drug that would keep him sane after the loss of his friend. Tauriel buried her head in the crook of his neck and did the same while her embrace remained as firm as it was.

"Ni nur angin. Amin naa sinome." she said after a few more minutes when his grip loosened by bit.

He kissed her hair in response. "Sevin le. Hannon le tinu nin." he said breathing in her aroma one last time before giving her a peck on the cheek and releasing her.

"Your hair is a disaster. You can't go out looking like this." Tauriel said after a short contemplation trying to light the mood.

It worked; in part. Legolas chuckled though not in his usual light mood. "I didn't have the will to brush my hair this morning, but you are right." he replied preparing to get on his feet before two warm hands detained him in his intention.

He looked at her in confusion, but she just gave him a small grin and proccesseded to his vanity table. Her intention became clear when she returned holding his hair brush. Elves weren't used to being attended to; not the prince and not the king either. Only elflings dressed and arranged their hair by someone or lovers. Of course; elflings had a lot of liberty and no one seemed to mind that either.

"Do you mind?" Tauriel asked searching for something in his eyes, but found only care and affection in them. "If it gives you pleasure." he shrugged watching her walk and sit behind him.

Her presence soothed him even when she wasn't in his sight. He puffed in contentment as the little elleth tenderly brushed his hair. Hands in his hair felt like a gentle, yet very effective massage.

When she was done; he looked into the mirror. She braided his hair in excatly the same manner that he used on it. She must have been observing him more thoroughly than he assumed.

"Hannon le mellon." he said after he finished inspecting it. Tauriel didn't know whether it would be polite to leave him be now, but he put his boots on quick enough which gave her no time to ponder further about that question.

"Tolo tinu nin. We have work to do." Legolas finally said after picking her up again and they went to find new adventures together. Who could grieve for long when they had a pure heart for comfort? It was a rethroical question; for the prince had no answer to it.

 _Translations:_

 _Lasto tir, pinmaethril! - Listen carefully, little (female) warrior!_

 _Hannon le – Thank you_

 _Hir Vuin – Beloved lord_

 _Tolo – Come_

 _Minno – Enter_

 _Man Cerig – How are you?/How do you fare?_

 _Ni nur angin. Amin naa sinome. - I am sad for you. I am here._

 _Savin le – I have you_

 _Tinu nin – My little star_

 _Mellon - Friend_

 ** _Author's Note: As always I am grateful for your feedback and hope that you will continue reviewing. You must be wandering at this point why I put so much time between the chapters if I already have 25th chapter finished. The answer is because I did not advance from that point for a while. You must forgive me for this because I easily get distracted. Perhaps it is this hot weather that makes me lazy for writing even though I am full of ideas. Enjoy the latest developments & let me know what you think. _**


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

 _A hooded figure walked swiftly without looking either to her right or her left. As it made its way deeper and deeper inside, the sound of the dripping water became louder and louder._

 _Little red-haired elleth tagged along confused until they reached a small waterfall which poured water from the ceiling filling the small lake which adorned the center of the complicated stone halls. "Where are you taking me?" breathless elfling asked trying to examine her whereabouts without success._

 _This couldn't get any stranger. Soon, her nameless and faceless tour guide detained his footsteps upon reaching the boarder of the lake. Before there was more time for questions, it simply made another step and sank underwater in a blur of images._

 _Tauriel took his spot watching the peaceful; yet the surface filled with darkness. Her own reflection stared back at her evenly before a wave arrived to stir the water before her eyes. Without a single note of warning; she fell into her regular nightmare. Her reflection was replaced by blurred silhouettes and; yet again; they screamed at her to flee and not look back._

 _As the enormous wave was about to spill over her head; she screamed knowing it served no purpose. She would drown in the water._

Two frightened green eyes stared into the dark completely disoriented. Her hands flew to her; now sweaty face trying to chase those images away once she realized it was only another nightmare. She only wished to know whether she screamed out loud. No one came for a very long time so she exhaled and still held her head in her hands. "Please no more." she said in a quiet squeal not aware of the fact that silent tears started to drop.

It was the dead time of night so she was not surprised to listen and hear nothing. It took her a while to recover from the blow, but she was accustomed to fight against it by herself. Her mind was almost made up upon seeing her friend, but her little sense of propriety won her internal struggle. Legolas was probably asleep and not requiring her trivial nightmares; or so she thought.

She snuggled under another blanket in another attempt to rest. Her second winter in the palace was as confining as the first with the only difference that her number of acquaintances grew as the time passed. The king was not as distant as before, sometimes she'd stay with him after the meals; mostly when his son was not around to be followed.

Sometimes, he would teach her something new or something she already knew only not in so many details. King Thranduil lived through many ages and witnessed battles that became legends written in books which Tauriel devoured with undying interest especially during this cold season.

The interphasse between autumn and winter was the greatest challenge. Many days so much like the one where everything was lost made her revive the memories which only came in her sleep at the present. Desire to see her old home again came not surprisingly, but that journey would require at least a full day and the affection for her friend made her realize that she couldn't go to such extended expedition by herself. Placing that request before him or anyone would require admitting to her own weakness which made her resistant to the idea. Leading this battle alone was exhausting her mind and her spirits, but she hardened her heart to conceal it.

The hope that her dreams would stop didn't abandon her, but deep down she knew that it was in vain. Almost every night brought disturbing images to her subconciousness and the state was not improving; in fact the nightmares became more horrible. Only dreamless nights seemed to be the ones where she was snuggled in her friend's chest although even those ended in something dreadful appearing before her on the very end and Tauriel avoided her friend's presence during the night; not because she didn't enjoy it, but for the mere reason that she didn't wish to admit to either herself or him that she required his help to overcome this.

The grief was overpowering at times. Feeling lost in the maze of her tormented mind during the season which so unwelcome reminded her of death made her heart turn to seek understanding. King Thranduil was cold most of the time inflicting respect to his people and fear to his enemies, but Tauriel feared him not.

She started seeking for his company especially when his son was absent for any extended period of time. Somehow, he knew exactly what she needed. Her actions spoke for themselves. When she would approach him in the silence, he knew she only craved for protection and no matter how intimidating he appeared; he never ordered her to leave.

The king sat at his private study next to his chambers and revised letters and pleas of his people. It was his usual ritual every evening to dwell in the problems of his kin. Tauriel came in silently not looking in any particular direction, His eyes stood fixed on the parchment even though he sensed her presence.

This did not dissuade little elleth. She came forth towards the chair he was sitting on. Only acknowledgement she received from him was when he placed her on his left knee and encircled her little form. Her head rested on his shoulder while she kept a firm grip around his waist. The king merely placed his left hand on her exposed cheek offering her silent proximity, but this was enough. Neither of them spoke a word and the elven lord simply continued with what he was doing like there were no interruptions.

This strange habit went on until he was finished and ready for sleep. Tauriel closed her eyes and fell asleep where she lay. Through some strange bond, he could sense what she needed. If she were truly upset he would place her on his knee like now and let her embrace him while breathing in his scent. If she merely wanted company, he silently allowed her to sit next to him and place her head in his lap.

His lips softly pressed against her forehead before he placed her on his bed and covered her with a blanket. They would sleep together once the king relieved himself of his weapons and his cloak. Tauriel never screamed out loud, but she woke him up every time something vile haunted her dreams. Thranduil patiently stroke her head embracing her while he sang her a lullaby under his breath which he knew had the greatest effect on her.

They slept through the night and their parting was as silent as their reunion. Maybe that was one of the reasons why she looked for comfort here and not in her friend who was more than willing to protect her. The king said nothing; he knew words were not enough to express such grief. They both loved and lost.

Tauriel woke up sensing that Thranduil was awake. She never left his room before performing her silent goodbye. She would embrace him once more and brush her cheek against his. Why she always chose the one with hidden scars was far beyond the king's understanding, but on his surprise he did not forbid her such contact. This happened almost every time that Legolas was not there to witness it.

Even though it seemed that this solitary battle would be fought forever, the day finally arrived when this burden would be shared with someone else. In the deepest winter while the wind blew with all its might although without snow, her resistance was crushed.

The intensity of the latest course of events which appeared in her subconciousness during her dreamlike state jerked her awake one hour after she fell asleep in the first place. Her bedroom was completely in the dark forcefully reminding her of the scene which she witnessed in her dream. The similarity itself would have crushed her, but in the combination with the foul squeal of the wind and the exhaustion resulting from two sleepless nights finally made her get up and pursue the warm comfort of her mellon.

She was only mildly awake while she stumbled around the corridors to her friend's chambers. Her whole body shook from the shock, but she made it to her destination with no interruptions for there were no guards nearby. When the wooden door appeared in front of her, she knocked quite forcefully with no reply. Nothing moved or breathed inside.

If she were completely rational, she would have turned around and went back the way she came by this point. However, her coherent state was questionable so she opened the door wildly only to find the room behind it empty. The prince was not in his chamber, but his weapons were, Tauriel realized when she took a step inside and closed the door.

The bed was made and the curtains were open. She felt lost, but had no courage to go back to her room so instead she crawled on top of her friend's blankets and buried her face in his pillow while breathing in his lingering scent. The other pillow ended in her embrace when she enwrapped both of her arms around it crushing it to her torso. Pretending that this insignificant object was her friend was impossible, but it made her calmer even though she was far from peace tonight.

She kept her eyes wide open too frightened to fall asleep wondering where the prince may be at this time of night. Legolas simply decided to stretch his feet before going to rest. He did not feel tired in any case and he gazed at the stars outside for a brief while before the cold urged him back inside.

He noticed nothing out of ordinary while he made his way through the familiar path to his chambers. Only guards awake were those who were stationed around the palace or were on patrol duty. Laeorn was on patrol often for his captain duty required this. If he was not the one to patrol around, it was either one of the corporals or lieutenants. However, the young prince found none of the mentioned tonight. The halls were utterly silent.

There were no guards stationed at his door. This did not please his father, but the prince preferred his privacy over any level of reasonable security they could offer in its stead. It was highly unlikely that he would ever be in peril while they were safely inside. The soldiers guarding all entrances and exits only reaffirmed such conviction. His father dismissed his personal security as well when he intended to retire for the day. The prince wore his long silver tunic and unbraided hair. His lack of weapons was refreshing, yet it felt awkward to part with what represented his constant companions.

No sooner than he entered his owe room, he heard silent breathing from the direction of his bed. His eyes scanned the mild darkness to find a little form snuggling into his pillows while staring in the distance. It hit him by surprise to find her here; he did not see her today when he returned from one more of their hunting expeditions.

"Are you here to invade my room little mellon or did you miss me?" the prince asked lightheartedly taking two steps forward into the light. Little elleth wasn't perceptive as always and seemed to be far away when he returned to hear him enter even though she had high sensitivity to the sound of his footsteps.

His words had an effect though not the one the prince was anticipating. Tauriel's trance broke at the sound of his voice. She released the pillow she was crushing for comfort and her feet silently thudded on the floor in great velocity. Legolas never saw her move so swiftly or with greater urgency. Before he had time to realize what she intended to do, she jumped into his arms which instinctively wrapped around her little form and lifted her up.

She had done this before although not as quickly so he wasn't alarmed by her actions. This would habitually be the time when he would make a teasing remark on her behavior and she would begin to chat lively of everything that occurred to her mind.

While he deliberated on appropriate remark, he felt her shaking resume in full force; not that he would be aware of its original strength, but it caught him by surprise. "Tauriel." he called trying to get a small glimpse on her face, but it was buried on his shoulder and underneath his hair.

When his attempt to see her resulted without success, he moved his hand from the top of her head to her face already suspecting what he would find. He heard them before he sensed them; tears were cascading down her cheeks soaking the thin silk of his tunic.

His bewilderment soon turned to anxiety which he tried to suppress in order to aid his friend who seemed to be hyperventilating. Something dreadful woke up inside of him while he braced himself for something far more terrible then he expected. Tauriel did not cry often, but she had cried on his shoulder before.

Today she seemed to be in a state which sent the prince to desperation. She sounded more and more like a wounded animal in her distress; usually her tears were silent. His hand moved from her cheek to her forehead only to find that she was burning in fever. "Gin iallon. Edraith enni!" she spoke in a somewhat acceptable tone, but the words themselves increased his anxiety.

Legolas made several attempts to place her on the bed so he could call for a healer. His kind was supposed to be immune to disease so he was alarmed by what was happening. He assumed that it was on nerve basis, but before he could corroborate that, he needed to pacify the trashing elleth who refused all his attempts to be parted from him. She reacted to his voice, but she seemed too terrified to release the hold on him.

"Tauriel av'osto, gin iallon lasto nin. Amin naa sinome. Le beriathon." he called to her hovering over without releasing his grip. He held one of his hands on her forehead and gripped her hand with the other pressing her down sensing that her movements slowly ceased while she drifted into her delirious state. The prince did not know what was better for her, but he needed her calm in order to send for a healer. He sat next to his little friend with a hand on her forehead not wishing to startle her with any sudden movements.

She was lying sideways on his bed with eyes closed. Before he could make a move to go and send for someone the door of his room opened to reveal his wary father in his night cloak. "Ionneg, guards informed me that someone was shouting in your chambers. What happened?" he asked making a step inside not waiting for any kind of invitation. His eyes fell upon the little elfling.

"I don't know Ada. She seemed awake when I came in, but when she started crying it was like she was asleep and awake at the same time. She has a fever. Elves don't get ill. Every time I try to release her to go for a healer, she falls into a state though she is calm now. I don't know what's happening." Legolas chatted away trying to ease his anxiety with words while his hand remained on her warm forehead.

Thranduil observed his son and Tauriel at the same time trying to make sense of these words. "Stay here, I will send someone to fetch healers. Make her warm while I do that." he instructed his son who looked like being close to a "state" himself.

Legolas looked gratefully at his father before placing Tauriel at the center of his large bed. He placed a pillow under her head and covered her with two thick blankets. His father returned and sat on her other side checking to see how high her feaver went up. The grave look on his face made Legolas pale down even more while he held her hand.

"Peace Legolas. If you want to help your friend, you will need to be strong." the king said after a moment of silence.

The prince wouldn't easily be comforted. "What is wrong with her? Will she be alright?" he asked trying to sound somewhat calm grateful for his father's presence.

His father did not give him a straight answer. Healers arrived in less than five minutes headed by Ninenath who looked a little pale, but focused enough.

"Aran nin. It would be best if you left me alone with my little patient. We will have to remove her clothes to discredit any possible injuries." Ninenath said taking charge of the situation quickly. Legolas seemed reluctant to oblige, but his father smoothly convinced him that he would see her again soon.

Father and son waited outside while the latter paced the length and width of the corridor anxiously. The king limited his role in merely observing, but offering no words of comfort. An hour that seemed like a full century passed before Ninenath made her way toward them. Legolas met her halfway with no patience left. "What is wrong with her?" he asked before she could speak.

"She had an emotional breakdown Hir nin." Ninenath said after a sharp intake of breath. Legolas visibly paled down not being able to utter a single word or breathe at all. His father placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Breathe ionneg. Are you able to tell us what caused this?" Thranduil asked seeing that his son was in no shape to ask the right questions.

"I can give you a good guess, but certainties I do not have." she replied speaking to both.

"Guess away." Legolas said after a brief pause.

Ninenath looked at him sympathetically. "I would guess the cause is grief, but it's hard to be certain for she hides it well. When I treated her after the dreadful event, she was having nightmares; probably reliving their deaths. It is common when you witness the death of somebody you cared about. I don't know if she had them since for I only saw her when she was awake." she replied searching their faces for any kind of information.

"Her dreams are still haunted." confirmed Legolas with a hint of anxiety.

Ninenath nodded, but said nothing. "The question remains what is the best course of action in this case?" the king asked voicing his son's unspoken words.

"There is no exact science here. She will be asleep for a day or two. When she wakes up, she will do what she has done so far. That is the easy path, but not a solution. We can turn our heads and pretend that everything is fine the same way she does." Ninenath offered her first option while Legolas sent sharp daggers from his eyes in her direction.

"Yes, but that won't solve the problem. The question is however, what would the consequences of such choice be?" the king asked emotionless.

His son had a strong urge to shout at him, but chose to stay silent. "There's a small possibility that she would be able to heal by herself in time. This is however, the unlikely scenario for we saw that her grief is growing stronger rather than perishing. I never saw an elf die from shock, but if we let her continue this course; the grief will consume her and it's most likely that she would fade little by little." the healer replied readily to such a question. Ninenath had no trouble calling the things for their names no matter how cruel they sounded.

"What is the hard path?" the prince asked in a stone cold voice pretending not to hear such devious outcomes.

"Tauriel is sealed; she will not ask for help if she can stop herself. However, I don't think that she will refuse it if freely given. There's always something that can be done. I however warn you that this might require a great sacrifice of your time." the healer said with a more gentle voice.

Legolas looked confused, but before he could voice his question Ninenath continued. "Let me explain that an ngell nin ernil nin. Tauriel is well enough when awake, but it is her sleep that is haunted. If she is left alone during her resting hours; she feels alone and solitude is the worst defense against grief and fear because the second makes the first gain in power. This applies to the situation at hand. A familiar presence is the only remedy I can recommend. She seems the most attached to you Hir nin Legolas. Whether it was your intention or not, she is part of your life so I could almost certainly claim that she is more likely to open up to you than to anyone else. While she is asleep now, it is essential not to leave her without supervision." she elaborated watching the evident relief cross the prince's expression. This he could do with pleasure.

"My son is a prince, are you implying that your recommendation is for him to sit by her side and neglect his duties while doing so?" the king asked slightly outraged.

"Not necessarily Aran nin. I simply advise a familiar presence at all times. Captain Leorn and Beleorn are also familiar to her. I will also spend time with her when my duties allow me to do so. Also there is..." she stopped midsentence feeling that she said too much.

The king raised his perfect silver eyebrow. "Yes?" he asked tentatively.

"You Aran nin. I cannot even attempt to guess the nature of your relationship, but she seems ... fond of you." she tried to find the right words, but was rational enough not to mention the word father in the king's presence.

Thranduil simply pierced her with a gaze before dismissing her. "A word with you Ada, preferably in private?" his son stated rather than asked.

"Ofcourse ionneg, let us speak in my study." he simply replied not contradicting his son. Legolas was the only one who could ask the cold king something without giving him an option to refuse.

The doors of his study closed and before the king could utter a word, the prince spoke up. "Are you going to forbid me to spend even more time with Tauriel?" he asked with an expressionless mask.

"Would such a restriction mean anything to you?" the king raised an eyebrow without the real question in his words.

Legolas looked at him evenly without saying anything. "I didn't think so. So why do you ask me this in the first place?" the king replied with a sigh.

"I value your opinion Ada, but if I leave her to her fate; I will regret it forever and that is a long time to dwell with such guilt. I ask this question because I'd rather do it with your support. I take no pleasure in disobeying you." the prince replied watching his father's features soften.

The king looked taken aback by such a declaration, but collected himself quickly. "You will always have my support ionneg even if I do not agree with you. When you rescued a fawn from the forest, I wished not to deal with him, but I supported you. When you asked me not to take your little friend away from you against my better judgment, I supported you. When you insisted to gift her with a horse at such a young age, I disagreed, but I supported you. I'm not comfortable with you dedicating even more time to her care, but I will not withdraw you my support." he replied with a tender look he reserved for his only son.

"Hannon le Ada." he replied surprising the king with a tight embrace worthy of his little friend. He did not withdraw from such contact; he cherished it. Legolas too valued such moments with his father for they were scarce.

When his son reluctantly withdrew he placed his palm on his right cheek. "I know that you desire to see her. You are here, yet your mind is in the other room." Thranduil almost grinned at his unfocused expression. He wasn't entirely correct for his mind wondered between there and here.

When Legolas turned to follow his advice, the king's voice rang again. "Legolas. If you need me, I am always here for you even if I don't appear that way." he said when his son turned to the sound of his name being spoken.

He placed a hand on his heart and deliberately walked away when his father did the same.

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Ada – Father_

 _Ionneg – Son_

 _Aran nin – My king_

 _Ernil nin – My prince_

 _Hir nin – My lord_

 _Gin iallon. Edraith enni! - I beg of you. Save me!_

 _Av'osto gin iallon, lasto nin amin naa sinome. Le beriathon! - Don't be afraid I beg of you, listen to me I am here. I will protect you._

 _Hannon le – Thank you_


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19**

The prince made his way back to his room anxious to see his little friend and slightly guilty for leaving her side for any period of time. He walked inside to find all the healers apart from Ninenath were gone. Tauriel lay where he left her fully clothed with a cold cloth on her forehead. The motherly healer sat on one of the chairs without moving rising to her feet when he walked inside.

"You may go to sleep Ninenath, I'll stay with her tonight." he said absently approaching his bed.

"Do you wish me to arrange for her to be taken to her room?" the healer asked uncertainly. She knew that the king was not gracious about her presence in his room, but she stood quiet when the prince gave her a look full of cold outrage at such a proposal.

"The cloth will need to be changed at least once in two hours. I left the cold water soaked with herbs which will help her fever go down and sleep. There is also something for her to drink if you think her capable of it. She will not regain consciousness for a while, but if it's any way possible, she should drink it. I warn you that it is highly unlikely that you will get much sleep tonight." the healer sighed giving him short instructions.

Legolas memorized it all without a word. "I don't think I could sleep tonight even if I wanted to." he replied silently sitting next to the little elleth while Ninenath excused herself and promised to come check on her patient in the morning.

When he was left alone with his thoughts, he changed the cloth on her forehead before lying next to her on his bed taking care of not disturbing her peace. He wished that he didn't send the healer away for he would like to have someone to explain to him what was the best thing to do or not to do.

As predicted, he couldn't even close his eyes let alone get any amount of sleep. Little elleth released soft mumbles once in a while. His name could be heard as frequently as the word ada. In any other context hearing his name from her lips would make his heart light, but the mention of her father made him aware of the fact that she was watching him die over and over again. He was surprised not to hear her call for her naneth as well realizing that she was probably more attached to her father yet still it was odd not to hear her mother's name mentioned once during the whole course of the night.

Light of the morning changed very little. Tauriel slept somewhat peacefully for the most of the night, but her voice became more forceful at dawn. "I don't want to go. Don't leave." she spoke again and again with her eyes closed. Her breathing sped up which was the first indicator that she would start squealing again like the night before if the prince didn't pacify her.

"Av' osto tinu nin. Aduel an gi meriad. Gwestan." he repeated over and over again holding her hands to her waist in case she started to thrush around. He kissed her forehead and embraced her using some deeply buried instinct. Physical proximity seemed to calm her down; her breathing soon leveled and she stopped her wave of forceful pleas. He held her like this until he was sure that she was asleep.

When she was resting again, he walked over to the window exasperated. He tried to meditate his anxiety away with little success. The nightmares themselves didn't worry him as much as their consequences did. Why did he let it go this far? Knock on the door interrupted his musings. "Minno." he called quietly hearing the door open behind him.

The wary looking captain entered silently greeting his prince in the usual way when their eyes met. "Ernil nin, I heard that our little mellon was unwell." he spoke when he closed the door trying not to make any noise while doing so.

The prince motioned him to come to the next room. "Ninenath claims her to be unconscious yet sometimes I get the impression that she is listening." he answered Laeorn's unspoken question.

"What is wrong with her? Has she been harmed?" the captain voiced his worry in this way vividly remembering when lieutenant reported to him this morning.

"There's nothing physically wrong with her apart from the fact that she is currently running a fever. It was an emotional breakdown according to the healers." the prince replied taking a seat on his couch before saying anything.

The captain paled down visibly reminding the prince of the similarity of their reactions. He fell on a wooden chair uninvited in shock. "But she was fine." he claimed in confusion not remembering any indicators which would prevene him of this.

Legolas shook his head. "She was far from fine for a very long time. It was just more convenient for me to pretend like everything was normal. I knew that something haunted her dreams, but I very much underestimated its magnitude until last night." the prince replied with obvious self-reproach in his words.

"It was not your fault mellon. No one could have anticipated such an outcome." Laeorn finally regained the use of his voice.

"Whose fault was it then? I watched her struggle and did nothing thinking that she would come to me in her own time, but she did not come to me until she didn't find herself surrounded." he asked frustrated in his anxiety.

Laeorn sighed, but decided to change the subject. "It was no one's fault mellon. What can we do to help her?" he asked thoughtful.

"Healers advise me not to leave her alone, especially not when she is asleep. Ada does not find it agreeable, but he will not be in my way. I was also advised not to leave her without supervision until she regains consciousness. Ninenath used the word familiar presence. As it happens your arrival is most opportune mellon. Do you have any duties to attend to today?" the prince replied trying to ease his own anxiety with a mixture or words which barely followed some order.

His friend just shook his head. "I already performed what was necessary. I have to overlook the training session after the afternoon meal, but apart from that I am at your disposal."

A reluctant sigh came from the prince's lips. "There is a council meeting and it is necessary that I attend to it with my father. They will discuss the reinforcements for the eastern guarding posts. Also I'll share a meal with my father. He's being unusually supportive about this, but I don't want to lose his graciousness over avoiding food." he stated reluctantly having no desire to leave her side.

"I'll take good care of her while you're gone. Is there anything I should look out for?" the captain assured him noticing his uneasiness.

Those two were truly attached to each other, it was hard not to find that slightly amusing. Before she came to the scene, there was nothing his prince enjoyed more than a good hunt. Now, he would have rather stayed with their little elleth and saw fighting more as a duty than as pleasure. He would find new will for it when they were both members of the hunting party which would come to reality sooner or later.

The prince was too preoccupied to see the captain's thoughtful amused face. He mostly repeated to him the instructions he got from Ninenath adding a few of his own observations. "If a nightmare assaults her again, physical touch and comforting words will calm her. You will just need to be more persistent than her. I will be back as soon as I can." the prince replied sighing and excusing himself, but not before emphasizing. "Don't let anyone move her from this room. Warn them whoever they may be that I forbid it." he said not leaving any room for contradictions before walking out.

* * *

The captain wasn't aware of how much time passed when Beleorn walked inside after finishing his morning training session and dismissing the recruits for their meal. He was quickly informed of the events when he asked the same question Laeorn did upon arriving to prince's room. Beleorn noted that his little warrior looked pale, but apart from that sat quietly satisfied with merely observing.

Ninenath came with another healer by the name of Gale to check on their little patient. Both guards simply stood by the window instead of excusing themselves. They did not pay much attention to their exchange until the healer mentioned the word moving.

"We should arrange for her to be transferred to her room. It is hardly proper for a commoner to linger in the prince's chamber longer than necessary." Gale said unconcerned about anything or anyone. Both guards recognized her as the wife of a council member. They were perfect for one another; both incredibly arrogant yet captain hoped to find more compassion in a healer.

His demeanor remained calm, but he was furious. "I would not advise you that hiril nin. Ernil Legolas strictly forbid her from being moved out of this room." Laeorn said with utmost respect even though that was the last thing he felt when looking at her.

The only response he received was her disdainful grimace; first for him than for the little elleth. "It's impossible to understand why so much fuss over someone so insignificant. Only thing she gives in return for the honor of having a sindarian prince for her protector is trouble. Why not simply allow her to join her parents in the halls of Mandos if that is her desire? Her death would give us less trouble than her survival." Gale continued her line of fire like no one spoke at all. Ninenath was used to such expressions so she simply stood quiet, but the guards were outraged.

"Get out." the captain ordered with so much authority that even Beleorn flinched upon remembering why the ellon standing in front of him was the leader of Mirkwood armies for hundreds of years.

Gale finally turned to give him a good look narrowing her eyes. "I beg your pardon." she asked looking at him like he was a piece of mud on her shoes.

Laeorn was calm enough to be confused with such treatment. "I ordered you to get out of this room. Perhaps your hearing is as rotten as your heart hiril nin. If you find it impossible to understand the purpose of healing her, what are you doing here in the first place?" he responded in equal manner using her honorable title with evident mockery in his tone.

"Who are you again?" she asked paying closer attention.

Beleorn was the one to answer. "Show some respect upon addressing him. He is Laeorn, captain of the Mirkwood guard and the general commander of its armies." he said staring the insolent healer down.

"My family comes from a noble sindarian line. I take no orders from common Sylvan elves whether they are captains or common soldiers." Gale replied disdainful at such a treatment. "Mirkwood takes anyone to lead their armies nowadays." she added in clear insult.

Laeorn refrained from laughing; he heard many referrings to his Sylvan origins during his long life. "A nobility which apparently you did not inherit hiril nin. This common Sylvan elf today is also an emissary to ernil Legolas. I was ordered to look after Tauriel while he is gone, but if you have any complaints to my methods; by all means go and appeal to the prince. As for your other concern, address the king if you have any objections to his choice of captain. Now get out or I will throw you out and prey that little Tauriel did not hear you for the prince won't be satisfied with your behavior. I hope you have no children and if you do, I pity them." he replied adding a menacing line to his voice just in case.

The healer left with several words of offence on their accounts which gave Laeorn little discomfort. Ninenath silently thanked him and Laeorn excused himself to go and overlook the training session.

* * *

The prince returned to Tauriel's side and did not leave her again for that day worrying little about his father's possible objections. He encountered Beleorn upon his arrival who only informed him of the captain's departure and Ninenath's words. There were no real news so he excused himself shortly after. Laeorn came again before the evening meal, but the prince refused his offer to go and take a bite so he sat with him for a couple of hours; the pair of them speaking little.

His father arrived shortly after Laeorn departed to find Ninenath fussing over the little elleth while his son watched her from the window. Both the king and the prince stood next to each other when she approached them.

"The fever is down my lords. Little one is no longer unconscious; she is simply asleep and she will be awake in the morning. She will be weak, hungry and thirsty when she does for it's hard to say when was the last time she ate." she declared satisfied while Legolas released the breath he was holding and his father sent the healer to sleep.

The king made no visible change of his stance though he too was relieved. "Ionneg if you wish to sleep go to my chambers. I can watch over your friend tonight." he tried to persuade his son though he did not use his commanding voice.

There was no indicator that this gave any result the king hoped for. "Hannon le Ada, but I prefer to stay with her. I don't think I'll be able to sleep until I see her eyes open again anyway." he rejected the offer respectfully yet leaving no space for being persuaded otherwise. His father sat with him for a brief while before bidding him good night with his son placing his head on the pillow next to Tauriel's.

* * *

Blurred faces kept coming into her subconciousness; some of them making little sense until they would take the shape or the appearance of someone she recognized. A pack of orcs came out of nowhere and started burning the village. Her father with silver blonde hair urged her to flee, but she refused to leave. Her faceless naneth pulled her out of the house making haste towards the forest while she watched the first orc attack her father who had the king's face. She woke up startled as per usual and took deep breaths in and out feeling incredibly thirsty and weak. The nightmares always left her wary, but never before without strength.

Her hand found something silky while trying to return to reality. She looked to her left only to find that her friend was asleep on her waist with one of his hands holding her tight. _This is getting strange. I am usually the one that ends up on his chest._ She thought trying to make sense of the events remembering coming here and snuggling into the prince's bed, but nothing beyond that.

Her movements ceased when she decided not to wake up Legolas. If she made noise during the night, it meant that he got very little sleep. She was too weak to move anyway so she chose to brush her fingers through his hair. He sighed in contentment, but did not awake.

She could see the shy sunrays breaking through the clouds bringing the morning. Tauriel despised the cold; for even though she was somewhat resistant to its claws; it still confined her to the palace especially when it snowed and it felt increasingly uncomfortable. At least Legolas's multiple day expeditions were less frequent.

The resentful line of her thoughts was suddenly interrupted when she felt something warm on the hand which lay on her friend's head. She focused back on him to find him mildly awake and raising his eyes to look at her clearly confused. She withdrew her hand immediately fearing that she may have crossed some invisible line between forbidden and permitted. Legolas was busy blinking the rest of his sleepiness away to detain her, but he soon hovered over her with the largest smile she ever saw lighting his beautiful immortal face

"You're awake tinu nin. My heart rejoices." he said kissing her forehead forcefully; too relieved to remember to be careful. "Man cerig?" he asked caressing her cheek.

Tauriel looked perplexed, but it wasn't in her nature to deny him an answer. "Thirsty mostly. I will go grab a cup of water." she replied somehow succeeding to sit up although with no small amount of effort. The world seemed to go around in circles.

A hand flashed and ordered her to remain seated. "I will go get you something Ninenath left for you to drink when you wake up." her friend said moving to the table quickly barely giving her time to blink. He returned with a cup which contained some sort of cold tea with a notable aroma of herbs she barely recognized. It gave her new strength although she still felt incredibly dizzy.

"Have I been ill?" Tauriel asked when she felt like she was capable of speaking.

"It is a long story. You need to eat something first, I will send someone to bring us food. Stay here and don't move." he replied walking out of the room and coming back before she had time to even think about disobeying him. In truth, his father left a guard outside the door in case he needed anything.

Their meal was delivered shortly and Tauriel decided to oblige her friend and eat before asking any more questions. He let her try to stand against his better judgment, but she was insistent. When she finally obliged him and sat down, visitors started arriving. First to be informed of her recovery was naturally the king who always seemed to be a step ahead.

Laeorn and Beleorn soon joined them. They arrived from different places, but met at the door. They both greeted her lively. Laeorn gave her a tight embrace while Beleorn limited himself to make a small remark on solider resilience. Ninenath arrived shortly after and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek in encouragement. Upon examining her, she gave her king the green light to ask his questions.

"Do you remember what happened Tauriel?" he fired away watching her shake her head.

"Goheno nin, but I vaguely remember when I climbed into this very bed and I think I saw Legolas come back after a while, but nothing clear." she apologized trying to call back that night.

"Learn to address your prince properly little one." the king replied quite irritated earning a resentful look from the ellon in question which he ignored. Tauriel mumbled her apologies, but he waved them away in order to get the information he required.

"Nothing else?" he inquired studying her face.

Tauriel looked far away. "Nothing clear, only unusual dreams." she replied summoning back one in particular in case the king wanted further elaboration which he did.

"Unusual in what way?" he inquired.

"At some point I wasn't even sure I was dreaming. I heard Laeorn's voice and possibly Beleorn's like through mist. Then there was this female voice. They were talking or rather arguing. This female voice spoke something about commoners in the prince's bed, lowly Sylvan elves in charge of your armies and my death. I didn't get much of that. I think Laeorn kicked her out of the room soon after that. He sounded rather furious." she replied not being able to repeat that conversation.

Thranduil raised a perfect white eyebrow. "I was rather furious." Laeorn interjected with a sigh. "We were hoping that you didn't hear that rather heart-warming exchange." he added calling back the memory in question.

"What is this elleth's name?" the king started interrogating his captain instead for he obviously did remember more than the little elleth.

Laeorn shifted from foot to foot feeling increasingly uncomfortable before speaking out loud. "It was Hiril Gale Aran nin. She is councilor Brien's wife and a healer. Ninenath brought her over yesterday while I was watching over my little mellon over here." He finally said placing a hand on Tauriel's shoulder while he gestured his speech toward her.

When his king wanted a detailed report on the spot, he knew better than to rebel against his orders. He managed to sneak a warning glance to the prince who did understand his silent wink, but had no time to prevent him from speaking. The whole room was given the insight of what happened; Beleorn occasionally added a remark and Ninenath confirmed their words. The captain made an effort to highlight the offensive expressions made towards him, but no one and especially not Tauriel was fooled. Little elleth tried to piece these bits of information in her head in order to understand why were they all fussing about her, but neither of them mentioned anything that could enlighten her.

It seemed that she was the main topic of this conversation, but rarely anyone gave her much notice. Little elleth tried to make her mind find answers to words such as _If her wish is to join her parents..._ It was hard to grasp why her strange illness would be connected to them.

No sound escaped her lips during their exchange which left her with little patience. Only impediment for her immediate abandon of this room was the thought that perhaps the king was not done with her yet. She limited herself to observing her feet while trying to shut out their voices.

When finally, the only remaining elf in the room appeared to be her friend, she placed her feet back on the ground. The prince watched her thoughtfully until she gazed back at him questioningly trying to read his face. Unnamed sadness was the easiest to interpret. _Pity._ It was physically hard for her not to flinch at that particular expression. Any unspoken questions died out on her lips.

Pieces slowly fell into place when she made a connection between the healer's remark and her friend's current sentiment. This made her realize that she didn't truly wish to hear an answer to her doubts. "May I be excused?" she finally willed herself to speak though not the words she originally had in mind being cautious not to catch his examining gaze.

She watched the prince's expression from the corner of her eye noticing his surprise. This must have been the first time she openly admitted her wish to remove herself from his presence, but she only wanted to disappear to her solitary room as she always did. Something appeared in the prince's eyes; a mixture of determination and anger when he deliberated on her request.

In another time, he would have obliged her desire to be alone, but after the fright he just went through this did not appear like a good solution anymore. "Why? So you can go back to your room and pretend like everything is as it should be once again?" he asked in a hard voice though his tone remained calm.

"I'm fine." little elleth heard herself speaking a well rehearsed yet deceitful line.

"That is a lie! Stop using that word!" Legolas finally lost his temper raising his voice which finally resembled the tone of his emotions which came to surface. His sudden outburst surprised Tauriel immensely. It sounded menacing making her look at him closely though her eyes were no longer impassive or sad; her face paled down with undisguised horror. Her eyes were wide as she watched his hurried approach.

Her fear was irrational much as her reactions, but her heart beat wildly in her chest. It all happened in the span of a few seconds. Legolas took two final strides meaning to reach out for his friend who seemed alarmed by his words; but her response was nothing he would ever expect. His temper was subsided as quickly as it rose, but he misjudged his friend. Before he took his final step, she moved two steps backing away from him and before his arm reached out to caress her face and sooth her like it often did, she closed her eyes frozen in place not daring take a single breath waiting for the blow that never came. Tauriel stood by the edge of the bed without the ability to move a single muscle while her eyes remained sealed.

The prince detained while he watched the retreating figure. His confusion was apparent, but it soon changed to understanding. His words weren't the ones that frightened her. It was him. His horror grew when he realized that he was the one she was afraid of; that she contemplated the thought of...

"Tinu nin." he spoke with the gentlest loving voice kneeling two feet away from her. His voice did not agree with Tauriel's irrational imagination. It came from further than she expected. Her eyes flew open once more taken aback by his expression with the traces of former fear subsiding.

She watched him with something like mixture of relief and diminished caution on her face while she returned to her normal breathing. "You cannot possibly think that I would ever harm you. Tauriel, I would never raise a hand on you no matter how angry I was." she heard him speak filling her with shame for contemplating such atrocity. His face was full of regret. "Goheno nin for shouting, you can't even begin to imagine how much you frightened me that night. You were screaming at me to save you, but I don't know from what." he added not daring to come closer fearing that would scare her even more.

"It is I who should ask for forgiveness ernil nin. I should have remained in my room as I always do, but for my defense I can only say that I wasn't entirely awake at that moment." Tauriel replied not wishing to discuss that night anymore now or ever again.

Legolas fought to keep his temper under control. He made move to approach her again ogling for her reaction, but she observed him calmly as he did so. He knelt again so he could look straight into her beautiful green eyes that lowered to the floor. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet his. It was barely a couple of inches away from his own. "U-moe edaved. You should have come to me sooner. Why do you suffer in silence when I am right here?" he replied caressing her cheek.

Tauriel looked at him, but tried to remain calm. "Please don't look at me like that. I don't want your pity." she finally spoke slightly shaking her head while she gazed at his expression.

The intensity of his gaze didn't release her. "It is not pity, it is love. Tell me something. When you consoled me for the death of my friend, did you do it only because you felt sorry for me?" he asked with poorly disguised irritation in his voice.

Tauriel stared at him surprised by such a thought. "No ofcourse not, I..." she was interrupted by his unyielding voice.

"Then why is it so hard for you to believe that I care for you as much as you care for me? Is it because you think me devoid of any noble feelings or it is simply that you don't trust Me?" he asked reading a reply on her face without any need for words.

The prince was very much aware of the fact that he was handling the situation badly, but he too had feelings which clouded his judgment. "It is actually both I believe. If you think that I am capable of deceiving you, you must truly believe that I am a monster." he replied standing up so quickly that Tauriel barely had time to react while she processed his words with horror.

Every appearance of calm was lost. "Daro! Avo garo! You can't leave me, I need you! It is me I don't trust, I am no one; only a damaged elfling who gives you nothing in return, but trouble for your kindness." she screamed after him when he was already half way to the door. The tone of her voice made him jerk around in surprise.

Her words stung worse than morgul poison when she crushed into his waist holding on tightly while she openly sobbed into it. Her scream was enough to sober his temper, but her confession would be his undoing. He easily scooted her up crushing her to his chest planting kisses around her hair and her exposed cheek while tears streamed down it growing worse with every second. "Av' osto. Amin naa sinome. You are part of me, my sister, my friend, my little star, my family, my reason to get up in the morning, light in the darkness and my hope. While there is a single breath in my chest, I will protect you and care for you." he whispered into her ear letting his emotions flow freely for once. His grip was so strong that it would drain the soul out of every ordinary elf, but she responded by tightening her own hands around his neck.

His hold remained firm while he paced around his room with her in it for what seemed like hours, but he didn't notice the time passing. His daily assignments didn't cross even the back of his mind while he both cherished this moment and let his heart bleed for his friend's pain. It took her hours to stop crying, but she finally did. His eyes looked through the window for the first time to notice that it was already dark. This did not disturb him the slightest; in fact he preferred to avoid everyone for today so he made his way to his bed.

He could almost sense Tauriel's fear when he lowered her to the mattress making space between them so he made sure to stay as close as it was physically possible. "Shhh, I am right here I promise. I'm not letting you go." he said kissing her forehead than the small palm of her hand.

When he lay down next to her, he sensed her placing a hand on his chest while looking at him. He stared back at her with a tiny smile. "Angels are not supposed to cry." she said wiping his cheek with her tender hands. The prince realized that he too had shed tears, but was too busy to notice it before and strangely he did not care. He felt lighter than he ever did since his mother passed away and his father turned to what he was today.

"Sevin le. We will speak tomorrow. Sleep tinu nin. If they try to harm you, tell them that you are not alone." Legolas replied caressing her face which hovered over him for a moment longer before pressing her lips to his forehead and snuggling into his warm chest. They both fell asleep as soon as they closed their eyes; both emotionally exhausted.

 _Ttranslations:_

 _Av's osto tinu nin. Aduel an gi meriad. Gwestan. - Don't be afraid my little star. I'm here to protect you. I promise._

 _Minno – Enter_

 _Ernil nin – My prince_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Hiril nin – My lady_

 _Ionneg – Son_

 _Hannon le Ada – Thank you father_

 _Man cerig? - How are you?_

 _Goheno nin – Forgive me_

 _U-moe edaved – There is nothing to forgive._

 _Daro! Avo garo! - Stop! Don't! (In this context it means don't go/leave!)_

 _Sevin le. - I have you._


	20. Chapter 20

**Dear readers,**

 **Thank you for your continued support. Please keep reviewing.**

 **CrazyCats and hobbitJunki - I did have planned to include Tauriel's "teenage" years in this story, but the ways of the fate are unpredictable. Sometimes my imagination takes me off course. I'm not entirely certain which age among elves if considered as teenage since they are immortal, but I did write a few chapters having the exact same idea as you. They will be the big closure for this story before the first sequel which will concern Hobbit era. Ofcourse, that part will have to be rewritten because I constantly write more about Tauriel's childhood (the inspiration is great). In the meanwhile enjoy chapter 20.**

 **Love,**

 **ME**

 **CHAPTER 20**

Little hand reached across the pillow for something that wasn't there. Tauriel would have gone into the state of panic if she didn't feel something warm in it a moment later. She gripped it tightly and placed her cheek over it keeping her eyes closed. His grin was almost audible as he caressed her other cheek with his free palm. "You may stay and rest if you are still tired tinu nin. No one will disturb you if that is your wish." he told her gently.

"I'm awake, just one more minute." she assured him without any trace of sleepiness in her tone. As promised she sat up shortly afterwards to find her prince watching her with a small smile. She couldn't help, but grin back before tossing her feet over the edge of the bed. "Why don't you go take a nice hot bath tinu nin. I will meet you in an hour in your room." he said kissing her forehead.

Tauriel put on her slippers, which she rarely used and did as he suggested. The bath and fresh clothes made her more at ease and increased her appetite. Legolas joined her as promised while she braided her hair in a well rehearsed speed. He was there before she had the chance to put her boots on, but waited patiently for her to finish. When she did, he hung the horn around her neck without a word. "Are you hungry tinu nin?" he asked while he walked hand in hand with her down the stairs.

"Starving." she replied feeling more at ease though starting to dread her encounter with the king after realizing her disgrace.

"Your father will never accept me into his guard now." she spoke up after a while with sunken hope. The prince looked at her curiously. He would be pleased never to see his friend as a soldier, but he could not feel pleasure for anything which brought his friend suffering.

"What makes you say that little mellon?" he made himself speak squeezing her hand trying to give her encouragement against his better judgment.

"He probably thinks less of me now that I showed weakness so openly. I'll probably end up in the kitchens with the cooks or working in the stables after that." little elleth elaborated not being able to help herself.

The prince shook his head. "It is not weakness, it is grief. He should understand it too. After my naneth died, he changed a lot. You won't end up doing something you don't like while I have breath to stop it." he said smiling sadly when a shadow of old grief passed through his face.

"You should rejoice. I know you don't wish to see me in the guard anyway." Tauriel replied sadly not knowing why she told him all this now.

They were almost in the dining hall when he detained her to lower down to her height again. "Don't be ridiculous tinu nin. I can't be pleased if you are miserable. You want to fight and it is a noble dream, but I fear the day when you lose your innocence. I know that you will make a fearsome warrior one day; just let me fight that reality for a while longer." he replied pleading for her understanding and she did not disappoint. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, he kissed her back and stood up. King Thranduil soon greeted them both from his chair pleased to see his son well rested and in good spirits. His little friend looked more recovered as well. She ate three portions of her breakfast until she was completely satisfied.

Legolas thought that she was merely obliging him when mentioning her hunger, but was more than pleased to see her eat more eagerly than he remembered during the last year. He waited for her to be done before speaking. "Tauriel, Ninenath is expecting you in the healing wing to examine you again. Why don't you go help her out until I fetch you for the next meal." he said watching her expression turn from satisfaction to reluctant oblige of his wishes.

"Yes ernil nin." she replied obediently not wishing to give him any more trouble. He scoffed at her address, but didn't object not wanting to contradict his father in front of her. The king received a goodbye kiss as well before she exited the room leaving them alone.

* * *

Tauriel had no desire to see that elleth who spoke of her like she was no more than a stone in her shoe, but reluctantly made her way to see Ninenath. The motherly annoying healer examined her only to determine that she was healthy as a horse. Lady Gale was not on duty for the moment, but they were expecting her later. Her daughter was there helping out the injured from the recent spider raid. It was a young elleth; yet close to maturity and pretty with a hospitable character.

Little red-haired elleth liked her immediately; she was nothing like her mother. The two elleths not so much different in age soon found that they were both interested in the art of combat. Gileth was the name of her new friend; she showed the same undying enthusiasm for this occupation that Tauriel had. She showed her a few scars from her sparring practice and the little elleth examined them excitedly wishing to be old enough to spar with her.

Conversation flowed freely between the pair while they sat in the corner away from the others in very intimate proximity. Their hands intertwined unconsciously as they talked about weapons and everything that could possibly occur to their minds. Their bubble suddenly burst when something closed around Tauriel's wrist making her look around in surprise. "Get your filthy Sylvan hands off of my daughter." a familiar threatening voice came from her left. She released Gileth immediately, but her mother pulled her to her feet quite forcefully.

She thought this was the end to their short friendship very much underestimating her new friend. "Naneth what are you doing?" she said jumping up swiftly releasing her grip on Tauriel before taking a protective hold over her. She was barely ten years older than little red-haired elleth, but Tauriel was short for her age so she could easily lift her up.

Tauriel stared blankly at the display, but Gileth held her firmly. "I forbid you to socialize with this filth, I taught you better than that. This one here is a common Sylvan elf of dubious origin, a filthy peasant whose place is among servants." lady Gale replied throwing daggers toward the elfling in question, but Gileth was not impressed.

"She is my friend." light brown haired elleth replied outraged by such expressions.

Her mother made a grimace. "Friend? Don't make me laugh. Friendship cannot exist between nobility and servants." lady Gale almost spat at her direction; Tauriel hid her face in Gileth's hair.

"Yet it exists between Tauriel and our prince." Gileth replied evenly in her friend's defense in defiance. Tauriel realized that this was a common topic of argument among them. This should not have surprised her considering the fact that they were so different both in character and their view of the world.

Lady Gale didn't budge. "I don't know what arts did she use to twist our prince's mind, but I won't let her corrupt you with her filth and her manners. Put her down, we're going home." she said sending the filth in mind another set of dirty looks.

Nobody in the healing wing dared utter a single word though all of them listened to the exchange; no one agreeing with Lady Gale's vocabulary. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here with my friend. If you don't approve of it; at least respect it." Gileth replied in a threatening voice she never before used on her own mother, but her treatment of Tauriel was sparkling her temper.

"You dare defy your mother for this worthless creature!? I knew you would bring trouble the first time I laid my eyes upon you when you were brought here from the woods. Ernil Legolas should have allowed that orc to take your worthless life, you are nothing but trouble. No one would have missed you if you were gone from this world forever." Gale replied outraged firing more offences in Tauriel's direction who couldn't conceal her hurt anymore.

Gileth was furious as well, but before she had time to retort another furious yet commanding voice prevented her in that intention. "Farn! You have said quite sufficient hiril nin." Legolas interrupted her with venom in his voice. No one spotted his arrival too entranced by Gale's insolence so they all collectively jerked in surprise bowing,

"Ernil Legolas." lady Gale retorted taken aback curtseying properly while her daughter mimicked the gesture not releasing Tauriel from her arms who looked at her friend in alarm knowing that he was more furious than he let it show.

Legolas pierced her with a disgusted gaze. "Hiril Gileth, will you please take Tauriel outside?" he said before continuing his line of fire. Tauriel already looked pale enough and did not need to hear this.

"Yes ernil nin." she replied respectfully turning around and rushing through the door which lead to the gardens and not stopping until they were both out of hearing range.

"Forgive my mother mellon nin, she doesn't know any better." Gileth plead as she sat on a fallen log after placing Tauriel to sit beside her. Little elleth just stared far away not trusting her voice to speak.

* * *

Legolas turned to Gileth's mother when the two elleths were out of sight. "Your insolence surprises me Hiril nin. Did I just hear you questioning my ability to choose my own friends?" he said in a cold tone sounding a lot like his father.

Gale wasn't as eager as before to insult Tauriel. "I meant no offence ernil nin. I simply stated the truth which so many fail to see." she replied almost making the prince laugh ironically.

"I can almost understand your husband. He chose a profession which mostly consists on boasting one's ego, but I expected more from you. I hereby relieve you of your duties as a healer. This kingdom does not require one with no compassion. Also I forbid any kind of retaliation against Tauriel, insult her again and I will consider that as a personal offence. You are dismissed." Legolas proclaimed staring her down challenging her to disobey him. Lady Gale bowed and walked out of the room with her head high, but boiling in rage. The prince ordered everyone who stood there motionless to go by their business rather harshly. He never looked more like king Thranduil's son than today. The most effective way to protect Tauriel was to act like a prince.

He made his way to the courtyard to find her fearing that this healer ruined everything they achieved last night. It was not difficult to find the two elleths seated under a tree though it was very cold outside at this particular time of year.

The prince took a few minutes to calm his temper not wishing to fright Tauriel now or ever again. Did he truly look so furious yesterday that it made her afraid of him? The silent terror in depths of her eyes would haunt him forever. Gileth rose to her feet as soon as she spotted his approach and greeted him properly. Tauriel followed the elleth's gaze standing up as well only not applying such ceremony as bowing before jumping into his open arms.

He performed their silent greeting before turning to the elleth he was already familiar with. She came often with her parents though he was sorry to admit that he barely paid attention to her before. Councilor Brien and his wife were the kind of elves he avoided as much as he could without rising murmurs.

Before he could formulate his gratitude, Gileth spoke up. "Forgive my mother ernil nin. She doesn't know any better." she said apologetically.

"Your mother's wrongdoing has been punished accordingly. I have relieved her of her duties. For your sake that grieves me, but she should have minded her actions. Thank you for defending my little mellon in there, I'm glad that she found a true friend where she least expected it." Legolas replied partly ceremoniously, but his tone was friendly. He placed Tauriel down to stand before him and held his hands over her shoulders comfortingly while she listened silently.

Gileth took in a sharp breath; her mother would be more difficult than she was already. "You did well to give her a lesson on humility. She was not particularly fond of that profession anyway; I think she only chose one which is considered as honorable for someone of her status. I knew what her view on the subject was, but she never so openly insulted someone." she replied keeping her tone serene. She was usually a more talkative person, but her mother's behavior embarrassed her.

"Oh she did a couple of days ago. You'll find her expressions about captain equally if not more offensive." the prince replied watching her pace pale down. Did he say something wrong?

"She insulted captain Laeorn? Oh that is just perfect, your father will never let me join his guard now." she puffed incredulously wishing to hit something.

Legolas looked at her outburst with unmasked surprise. "I'm sure my father won't punish you for your mother's mistakes Hiril nin." he encouraged her while slowly beginning to understand what was it that these two elleths had in common. He almost laughed at the irony, but stopped himself in time.

"Perhaps you should get inside ernil nin, it's growing rather cold." Gileth suggested not being able to formulate a proper answer at the moment.

Her words were true, but her unspoken ones were probably filled with bitterness. The prince turned to follow her counsel, but his words died out on his lips when he saw Tauriel observing the elleth with longing. "May I persuade you to join us for our meal Hiril nin? I'm sure Tauriel would enjoy your company." he fired his request without a second thought. Tauriel enforced his invitation approaching her friend. "Come on Gileth, it will be fun. An ngell nin." she exclaimed quite forcefully making the elleth blink in surprise.

"Well who could say no to such a plea?" she chuckled taking one of Tauriel's hands in her own while a wide grin appeared all over her face.

Legolas took the other and they made their way to the entrance hall. Unlike Tauriel, Gileth did look like a female in her simple white gown. "So your dream is to join the Mirkwood guard. I imagine that your parents are not pleased with your choice of profession?" he stated rather than asked.

Her responsive sigh gave him his answer before she actually spoke. "No they are not Hir nin. My father wants me to become a healer like my mother and she thinks that I..." she stopped midsentence realizing what she was about to say. The prince looked at her curiously and Tauriel voiced that into a question.

Gileth would have laughed if she wasn't so embarrassed. "Naneth implied that I would make a good bride for a certain sindarian prince." she finished after gathering her courage. Tauriel's eyes went wide with surprise while Legolas only chuckled amused.

"And you do not agree with her?" he assumed out loud.

"I don't believe that this would be either your fate or mine. My dream is to fight and nothing more. I think the only one who will ever have your heart will be the one who defies you. Her personality will challenge your character and you will give her your heart for it. Her eyes will set your soul aflame." Gileth replied with a small grin.

Legolas was taken aback by such a prediction. This elleth must possess some essence of the gift of foresight to claim something of the sort. It was impossible to think of appropriate response to such declaration so their arrival to the entrance hall came as a savior.

"You're awfully quiet little mellon. What troubles you?" the prince observed squeezing her little hand in case she wasn't paying attention to him, but without necessity for she heard everything including the king's footsteps when he approached the dining room from the other side.

Both the prince and the elleth seemed surprised when she let go of their hands to rush across the room. "Does she hug the king too?" Gileth asked quietly so only Legolas could hear her.

"Oh yes she does." a small grin played on his lips as he responded when Tauriel stood in front of his father and placed arms around his waist. Thranduil looked unimpressed as he lifted her up. "On the run again pinmaethril?" he asked observing her for a moment longer before placing her down.

Her restless feet took her back to her friends as quickly as they took her away from them. Thranduil looked slightly surprised not expecting any guests for the afternoon meal. "Hiril Gileth, this is a pleasant surprise." he addressed her watching Tauriel clinging to her arm with confidence. It was a mystery how these two ever found each other.

"Aran nin, I truly apologize for barging in like this. Your son most graciously invited me to join you. I hope I did not inconvenience you." Gileth replied curtseying in a proper way.

The king dismissed her misplaced apologies with his hand. "Not at all. Did you come with your parents?" he asked curiously as he took his seat with Legolas on one side and Gileth on the other. Tauriel climbed into her usual seat next to the prince.

Gileth grimaced a little at his question. "No Hir nin, they are..." she tried to formulate an answer a little unprepared for the question.

"I just relieved Hiril Gale of her duties. I think she took the hint that her presence is no longer welcome." his son saved her the trouble of replying to that.

The king looked only mildly surprised. "I see. I thought we agreed on not retaliating yesterday ionneg." he replied serenely.

Tauriel gazed at the floor feeling increasingly guilty that Gileth's mother no longer had an occupation. Legolas took her hand under the table while looking at his father. Her hands closed in around his. "I did not plan to pursue any course of actions, but her behavior from this morning was impossible to overlook. She offended Tauriel in one breath and questioned my judgment in the next. If you wish to lift her punishment, you're in your right to do so, but do me a favor and keep her out of my sight." the prince replied with no hint of regret in his voice.

He acknowledged the prince's words, but said nothing concerning the subject deciding to shower Gileth with attention pleased to see that his son brought an elleth to his table. Gileth answered his inquiries politely yet a little distractedly.

"When did you meet little Tauriel? She hasn't mentioned you before." the king asked.

"This morning Hir nin when she came to find Ninenath." replied the elleth,

"I can't imagine what the two of you could have in common."

Gileth didn't know whether to interpret his words as an indirect offence made toward her friend or a simple observation. Raising her temper on her ruler was not a bright idea nonetheless. "We both want to join the guard Aran nin." the elleth replied in simple fashion.

Thranduil poorly concealed his surprise. "Have you any knowledge in the art of combat Hiril nin?" he asked curiously.

"Yes I used to practice with blades with my brother before he got married and moved away. Archery was my next goal, but my father found the bow my brother gave me for my birthday and burned it. I still practice in secret when I get the opportunity." she replied remembering the dreadful event while a sigh escaped her.

Tauriel's eyes opened widely at that. "So your parents don't approve of your choice?" observed the king out loud.

"No, my father would prefer to see me as a healer. He had high hopes for my brother that he would become a fearsome warrior, but no matter how much my brother loved a good fight, he never aspired to join your armies." she replied sadly.

"What about your mother? Did she agree with him?" he raised his perfect white eyebrow upon seeing a slight blush appear on her face. Telling the prince about her mother's wishes was one thing, but revealing such schemes to his father sent discomfort through her. Fortunately, Legolas saved her from having to answer.

"Her mother considers that she would be a suitable bride for a sindarian prince." he replied in her stead making his father pay closer attention and something sparkle in his eyes. "We touched this subject in the courtyard when I asked her the very same question. Do not get your hopes up, we simply laughed it off, but if it consoles you Hiril Gileth predicts a wife in my future." Legolas quickly added seeing his father's hope spark.

His disappointment was palpatable although skillfully concealed. "Not such a close future I'm afraid ernil nin." Gileth replied completely embarrassed.

"Yes, but promising one. What words did you use again?" he contemplated calling them back, but he was reminded vocally.

"I believe Gileth's words were: " _The only one who will ever have your heart will be the one that defies you. Her personality will challenge your character and you will give her your heart for it. Her eyes will set your soul aflame."_ " Tauriel spoke with a tiny grin plastered over her face.

Thranduil listened to the exchange between the three with both eyebrows raised, but said nothing out loud. He already started to picture the one who would fit such a description and the conclusion did not amuse him the slightest.

 _Elven translation:_

 _Hiril nin – My lady_

 _Hir nin – My lord_

 _Aran nin – My king_

 _Ernil nin – My prince_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Farn – Enough!_

 _Ionneg – Son_

 _An ngell nin - Please_


	21. Chapter 21

**Dear readers,**

 **Once again thank you for your continued feedback.**

 **ClaraS - Well his motives are much alike as from the hobbit movies, but they will be elaborated profoundly when and if I get to that point which won't be until 1st or maybe even 2nd sequel.**

 **For now enjoy Tauriel's childhood. I made this a compilation of Tauriel's everyday trivial and less trivial problems in order to show you that elves have ordinary days and problems like all other races (with a hint of danger and excitement).**

 **Love,**

 **ME**

 **CHAPTER 21**

The whole day passed without a room for the prince to speak with his friend, but Tauriel was content with Gileth's company who was not allowed to depart without solemnly promising to visit her often. Gileth wished to invite her friend to visit her as well, but did not wish to place her in the wolf's lair. The only one who could be trusted to act with kindness was her brother, but she could not go to see him during the winter.

The evening was upon them before they got the chance to speak. Tauriel let herself be lead by her friend who brought her to his chambers and let her walk past him to gaze outside for a brief while. "Would you miss me?" she suddenly asked breaking the silence while the blonde ellon was lost in his own thoughts.

Her voice broke his trance while he tried to make sense of those words. "Would you miss me if I were gone forever?" she elaborated watching his distracted gaze.

He stared at her unamused. "What kind of question is that?" he asked flatly wondering whether she actually doubted the answer.

"The one that requires answering." Tauriel suggested rising an eyebrow with humor on her face.

The prince looked at her with mischief; a sentiment he lost a long time ago. "Is that your idea of a joke?" he asked approaching her in three long strides. He easily lifted her up and carried her across the room to his bed like a sack of flour.

"Legolas put me down! How preposterous!" she exclaimed feeling quite amused, but completely without dignity.

"As you wish Hiril nin." he replied tossing her unceremoniously on his bed barely giving her time to hit the mattress before sitting next to her and checking for her ticklish zones. Tauriel laughed until tears started to come to her eyes trying to struggle free all the while, but he pinned her down soon afterward. He planted a kiss on her forehead before setting her free. "I win." he smiled with triumph.

Little elleth grabbed the closest pillow and hit him on the head. The prince ducked her next attack with his superior reflexes taking another one from his bed in the same breath. Tauriel also ducked out of his reach easily, but tried to strike again from every angle; sometimes managing to hit some part of him. His retaliation consisted of numerous counterattacks which made them both laugh like little elflings. They both fell to the bed with their backs pressed to the mattress amused. "That was fun. We should do it more often." Tauriel finally broke the silence after catching her breath; her eyes sparkling with excitement. Legolas couldn't respond, but spread a wide grin at her enthusiasm.

"Does your father approve of me spending so much time in here? I patronize a lot of your time and now I occupy your space as well." she voiced her concern when unpleasant silence threatened to become uncomfortable.

His serious face returned observing her deliberating whether to tell the truth or not. "He is not too pleased about it, but he does not oppose. For the record, if he did, that wouldn't make a difference. As far as I am concerned, you are staying here tonight and every other night." he replied watching her widen her eyes with shock. "You mean every night? That is quite unnecessary ernil nin." she replied with a squeak at such a scheme.

"That topic is not in discussion." he replied pinning her down yet again with an expression she could not read. "Also call me by my name. Do not address me like we don't know each other; at least not when we are alone." he added smugly planting another quick kiss on her forehead.

Tauriel exhaled a little entertained by what was bothering him. "It is too early for sleeping." she stated rather than asked.

The prince was not amused. "We have a pending conversation." he simply reminded her watching reluctance appear all over her face.

"We don't have to speak about this now or ever for that matter. I am..." she was interrupted when he spoke in quite irritated fashion.

"Don't say the word fine or anything of that ilk. Why do you insist on shutting me out?" the prince said watching her intently.

She sat on the bed with a sigh. "You already have enough of your own concerns. Why do you want to burden yourself with mines as well?"she asked not looking in any particular direction.

"Do you think that just because you do not speak I do not worry about you?" he retorted with another question. Tonight he would not give up.

Tauriel breathed in sharply and exhaled in defeat. She would not deny him anything even if he asked for her life. "What do you want to know?" she finally said looking straight into his eyes pointedly. She was so determined yet never more vulnerable than right now.

The prince crossed his legs on his bed and she did the same sitting face to face with him. His hand easily found its way to hers and squeezed it in silent comfort. "How often are your dreams haunted?" he asked gazing at her unchanged reaction. She was hesitant, but not unwilling.

"Almost every night since their death. I can count those which were not with one hand." she admitted with more courage than she thought she had lowering her gaze with shame for her weakness.

 _Every night?_ Legolas was taken aback by such a confession. He suspected it was bad, but that number now became devastating exceeding his wildest counts. "Why did you not come to me for help?" he asked with deep concern.

Tauriel exhaled again before replying. "I thought they would stop eventually." she replied calm enough, but with sadness in her voice.

"But they didn't?" the prince stated rather than asked.

Little elleth dropped every mask. "No they didn't! They grew worse and worse over time! For the last couple of months, I slept the least I could. I would stay awake until my eyes would close on their own. I was afraid to close my eyes." she raised her voice trying to struggle her hand free from his iron grasp while she placed the other hand over her eyes attempting to stop the tears that started to drop.

His hand gripped her even tighter not allowing her to run away this time. "Why did you not speak sooner? You must have realized that what was happening to you wasn't normal." he continued his line of fire wishing to get his answers now that she finally surrendered.

"Because I was ashamed; ashamed to admit that I am weak. I didn't want to be weak!" she finally screamed a forced confession covering her face with her hand when his grip finally loosened.

Legolas took a moment to register the full implication of her words. "There was nothing to be ashamed of tinu nin. You were mourning, but in silence. No one should grieve alone and especially not someone as young as you." he said with a voice full of understanding which shattered what was left of her nerves to pieces.

He waited for her to calm down afraid to touch her now that she was out of control. She finally did after a few minutes returning her breathing to normal. "I could have told you that would end like this. Why do you insist on asking questions when answers only bring you pain?" she finally said when she was sure that her voice wouldn't waver.

"I am more pained by the knowledge that something troubles you and I don't know what it could be because you remain silent." he replied placing a palm on her cheek to caress it gently. She placed her own palm over it and grasped it with both of her hands pressing her lips tenderly over it. "Do you have any more questions? I might not be so willing to continue this interrogatory in the morning." she replied placing his trapped hand on her knees.

Legolas was not amused by her expression, but went past it. "What is it that you dream about? Is it your parents; the day they died?" he asked watching her turn her look away. She appeared more willing to speak when she didn't look at him.

"That was only the start. I still dream about that day; sometimes the line of events varies a little, but in the end they always end up dead. I did not see them get killed so my mind invents a lot of possible scenarios each more dreadful than the previous." she started not looking forward to tell him the next part even though she knew he would want to know.

"Go on." he persuaded her without effort.

"They changed; the dreams. You started appearing in them soon afterwards. At first, I watched you die from every possible angle and in every possible manner. There was one in particular; a dragon descended from the sky and set us all aflame. Your father also made his appearance frequently and Laeorn on occasion. As we grew closer, the dreams became more horrible. As my attachment grew so did the fear of losing you. And then..." she continued trying to convey to him how such outcomes terrified her. He watched her with love, but did not speak tensing up at her sudden interruption.

This conversation wasn't going anywhere good nevertheless. "And then I saved Elethan and met his parents." she whispered half wishing to stop talking knowing this would inflict nothing, but guilt. He looked at her expectantly though understanding dawned on his face. "His father spoke of taking me away. It was when I realized that the only thing worse than losing you to lord Mandos was losing you because you would willingly send me away." she finished in a barely audible tone making herself go on only because her friend encouraged her to continue against her better judgment. His face filled with self reproach only affirmed her in the conviction that this should have stayed between her and the Valar.

She yearned to be close to him, but for the first time didn't know how to make the distance between the two disappear. "One more question than we may go to sleep." he told her making her focus on his face again.

"Shoot. I think we already covered everything that could cause you distress." she replied almost laughing at the irony.

"You said you could count your dreamless nights with one hand. Are you able to remember what was particular about those?" he asked watching her unchanged expression. This question did not bother her the slightest.

"It is not really hard to guess. First one was the night when your father informed me that he would gift me with a birthday party. I was in complete bliss the whole day. The other three all had in common that I slept right here in your arms; the last one being last night." Tauriel replied not noticing much surprise on his face.

Her eyes found his distracted gaze which seemed to wander around the room aimlessly. "Mellon." she spoke softly making him refocus on her face while she held his gaze. "Everything I told you does not need to change anything. Do not feel obliged to aid me in any way. Only duty you have toward me is the one that you impose on yourself." she felt inclined to remind him of this.

They both stood silent for a few minutes, Tauriel gazed at the stars through the window. They were covered with clouds, but still visible. She felt liberated after admitting to all this, but couldn't help to dread her friend's decision. Would he finally decide that this was too much for him to handle and leave her to her fate.

Legolas followed a very different line of thoughts frequently reminding himself that if he acted before, none of this would have happened. "Tinu nin, come to bed, it is late." he finally said after leaving her to her thoughts for a while longer.

She approached swiftly, but with evident surprise. "So you still want me to stay?" she stated rather than asked when he placed her on the side of the bed and started unbraiding her hair. The high impropriety of this situation came to her mind, but she couldn't make herself to tell him to stop.

When he finished with it, she moved to sit behind him and do the same for him. He closed his eyes and sighed in contentment. Her clear fascination for his hair was endearing. When their hairs were relieved of their braids, they both took off their jackets and their boots. Dressed in a simple silver tunic, the prince appeared more surreal than ever, but also more beautiful.

His hands enwrapped protectively around her little form with obvious months of practice and placed her head against his chest. She felt no hesitation to tighten the hold on him so she could hear his steady heart beats; her own personal lullaby. He continued drawing circles on her hair and her cheek until he was certain that she was asleep. Only then did he close his eyes and drifted off as well.

* * *

A new chapter begun in Tauriel's short life. Her nightmares did not go away for a very long time, but they became bearable as the months flew by. Her ninth birthday arrived very soon. King Thranduil gifted her with another celebration so much like the previous only this one included Gileth and a few more guards she was acquainted with.

Her elleth friend gifted her with a beautiful gown; white embroiled with silver. Tauriel puffed at it with wide eyes remembering that she specifically told her friend about her distaste of skirts and particularly the ones as extravagant as this one. Her gifts mostly consisted of clothes. The guards gifted her with a miniature guard uniform only to tease their little warrior while the prince pierced them with disapproving glances. He gifted his friend with a beautiful knife. It was a masterpiece, forged to be light, but able to pierce through walls. Its handle was made of pure silver adorned with many miniature shining stars. He warned his friend to be careful with it.

The summer was soon upon them and Tauriel was rarely found inside the palace. It took a lot of effort to keep track of her during the warm days. Sometimes she wandered alone like she used to in the past, but Gileth often made her company dressed in her hunting gear chatting lively about her brother who she would soon be visiting. She started repeating herself soon after she ran out of ideas so Tauriel stopped paying close attention. Any orc hunting in twenty league distance could spot them when she kept talking like this.

"...so my brother said I should bring you. What do you say to a little change for a couple of weeks?" Tauriel was brought out of her reverie by this generous yet unexpected invitation.

"A change would be nice, but I'll have to ask for permission. I've never been away for so long before." she agreed after a moment eager to learn more about her kingdom.

Gileth smiled. "Excellent. I will send my brother a word." she exclaimed.

"I have to speak with the prince first." Tauriel repeated, but Gileth gave her a strange look.

Her chuckle soon followed. "Oh come on mellon. You don't seriously believe that ernil Legolas would deny you anything. If you ask him to put his life in danger for you, he will do it." she said amused.

Tauriel tried to erase the picture of her friend in any kind of peril on her account. "That is not funny at all." she replied turning her head while they made their way back to the palace.

"And I wasn't joking." Gileth replied seriously. She got no answer this time.

* * *

It was harder than she thought to plant this question before her friend. She would have given up on the scheme if he did not ask the question.

"There is something on your mind tinu nin. You've been spiritually absent whole evening." he stated with conviction while Tauriel silently unbraided his hair like she did every night.

It was probably easier if she didn't look at his face. "Gileth invited me to go and visit her brother with her in his village." she finally exhaled like she was confessing some dreadful crime.

He almost chuckled at her uneasiness. "Do you want to go?" he asked serenely.

Tauriel was silent for a minute before replying. "I do. A change of scenery would be nice for a little while." she finally said with a hint of guilt in her tone.

His skilled hands embraced her before replying. "How long will you be staying?" he asked brushing his fingers through her chestnut red hair.

"Two weeks." she finally breathed out snuggling closer to him like someone who was caught stealing.

He planted a soft kiss on top of her head. "You don't sound so eager to depart. Why is that I wonder?" the prince asked with a hint of tease in his voice.

Tauriel struggled with words. "I want to go, but I don't want to leave you." she replied without her usual light manner. Strong hands closed even tighter around her.

"I can't tell you what to do mellon. It is your decision." he sighed into her hair.

"You will be greatly missed." she finally said after a short deliberation.

He placed her in his lap so he could look into her eyes. "And I will miss you. Do not fear, this goodbye will be brief. When do you depart?" he tried to encourage her though he already knew how much he would miss her for any short period of time.

"Three days." she murmured before the prince placed them both in his bed.

* * *

As the moment of departure approached, Tauriel struggled more between nervousness, eagerness and unwillingness. The prince helped her pack the little belongings she would bring. He almost shuddered as he saw her dress into her miniature guard uniform, but stopped himself in time. He made sure that everything was in place. Her arrows and the bow were securely tightened on her shoulders, the horn was around her neck. A servant took her packages to tie them to her mare. She was still training in the art of riding a horse, but felt confident enough to make her journey on her mare. Legolas knew that Gileth would keep her out of any serious trouble.

When he made sure that everything was on its place he lowered down to her height. "You keep that horn close at all times. That's an order." he warned her. "Yes sir." she replied obediently earning herself another peck on the forehead.

"One more thing." he added handing her a small leather sack easily attached to her belt. Tauriel looked confused before opening it and widening her eyes and shaking her head. "I can't take this, it is too much." she protested trying to give it back, but the prince didn't budge.

He held her hand with both of his staring into her eyes. "Take it just in case. You might need it for your expenses. Use what you need and bring back the rest if it makes you feel any better, but I can't let you travel without a single coin." he plead to her knowing that she would not refuse him.

When she secured the tiny sack on her belt, she looked at him again; her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I don't want to go." she blurted out not being able to contain herself.

Legolas watched her with a sad grin. "You don't have to mellon, but you still want to. Do not worry about me, I will still be here when you return." he told her planting another kiss on her forehead. She hugged him as tight as she could and he did not protest. They walked outside hand in hand, Laeorn and Beleorn were waiting to bid the party farewell. Two guards would accompany the prince's ward on her journey; both to keep her safe on the road and at her destination if Gileth's parents show up.

Tauriel stopped her friend before they reached the entrance hall. "What is it tinu nin?" her friend asked turning to her thoughtful expression.

"May I go to say goodbye to the king?" she asked uncertainly. "Of course, hurry back I'll wait for you here." he smiled leaning on a column while she rushed back upstairs.

The guards guarding the king's door let her in without a word. Silver haired ellon was gazing through the window with a cup of dorwinion wine. He was wearing no crown and his hair was falling freely down his chest. The king looked only mildly surprised to see her. "I thought you forgot to come and bid farewell to your king pinmaethril." he spoke in a serene voice not troubling himself too much of her arrival. He placed the goblet down however, ready for her usual greeting.

She embraced him around the waist and he lifted her up in return giving her more attention than per usual. "Is everything packed? Did my son give you money for your travelling expenses?" he inquired asking one question at the time. "Yes sir." she nodded vigorously while he placed her back on the ground.

"Your head is where it should be. Be safe and act like an educated little elleth I know is in there somewhere." he replied lowering down to her height brushing a finger across her nose. Tauriel chuckled and placed a kiss on his cheek; again the one with hidden marks. He obliged her with one more kiss to her forehead before rising to his full height. "Noaver, hennig. Run along now they are waiting for you." he tapped her on the shoulder. She quickly obeyed, but not before waving another goodbye from the door. A small smile tugged on his lips when the door closed.

When Legolas arrived with Tauriel clinging to his arm, the whole party was already assembled. They all bowed before their prince. Gileth's parents greeted the prince in cold propriety. Gale wrinkled her nose in disgust as the only sign of acknowledgment of seeing the little elleth and councilor Brien pretended that she was invisible. The prince observed them both with high vigilance to impede them from upsetting his friend again. Gileth approached in her usual manner in her black hunting gear bowing before the prince and hugging Tauriel. "We are ready when you are." she exclaimed cheerfully not casting a single glance toward her parents.

"Run along mellon and bid goodbye to Laeorn and Beleorn. They were both up before the roosters only so they could see you off." Legolas addressed Tauriel who didn't need any convincing to do as he asked. She, all but crushed into the grinning captain who hugged her tightly. "Noaver mellon. Try not to break anything." he chuckled receiving a kiss on the cheek only slightly surprised.

Beleorn saw her off in quite a different fashion. "Noaver pinmaethril. A guard always brings his weapons with him. A guard is not afraid of anything or anyone. A guard guards his comrade's backs. A guard always comes back to report to his superior. Am I understood pimaethril?" he asked using this particular manner to bid her goodbye earning himself a hug while Laeorn chuckled next to him.

"As ordered sir." Tauriel saluted on the end and made her way back to the party.

Legolas used her brief absence to exchange a few words with Gileth unhappy by the fact that he had to do so in the presence of her parents. Before he could open his mouth, she already anticipated his request. "I will take good care of her ernil nin. She will be in one piece when you see her again." she assured him with a smile. "Keep a close eye on her, she is restless and does not like to stay in one place for long." he agreed with a chuckle. "Uustan orn. Gwestan." she nodded with a tiny smile playing on her lips.

Tauriel walked back among them a moment later. Gileth simply pierced her parents with a sharp gaze before climbing her light brown mare. The prince took another moment with his friend with every intention to instruct her again, but she was quicker. "I will keep out of trouble. I will keep my horn nearby to scare any unsuspecting geese if they try to sneak up on me and if all that doesn't work, I will have my weapons with me at all times to pierce any unfortunate animal that doesn't take the hint." she assured him solemnly keeping her face straight.

Her escort chuckled from their horses failing to maintain their posture. "I have a feeling we will enjoy this assignment very much mellon." Gwendor conversed with his comrade. "I can't believe I'm getting paid for this. I'd gladly do it for free." agreed Alsidis from his right.

The prince looked highly amused as well planting another quick kiss on the elleth's cheek before lifting her up to her saddle. "Behave!" he warned with fake strictness. "Na lu e-govaned vin." he spoke to both of them. Gileth placed a hand on her chest and Tauriel squeezed the prince's one last time before their party took off,

 _Elven translation:_

 _Hiril nin – My lady_

 _Ernil nin – My prince_

 _Tinu nin – My little star_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Noaver hennig – Farewell child_

 _Noaver mellon – Farewell friend_

 _Noaver pinmaethirl – Farewell little (female) warrior_

 _Uustan orn. Gwestan. - I will. I promise._

 _Na lu e-govaned vin. - Until we next meet._


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: You need not fear that the story is coming to an end. There's still a few chapters left for her childhood and perhaps more then a few if I am hit with inspiration. I am successfully finishing chapter 26 as we speak. Actually, I've given a great deal of thought about how to proceed. There are 3 options amongst which I could choose. 1. I could continue in this fashion and wait for the ideas to come. 2. I could put another "sequel" about her early days as a member of the guard. It would be rather short one considering I meant it as a grand closure of this first part, but it would permit me to write about Hobbit era and leave An Act of Kindness open for more chapters afterwards. When I say short, I mean 5 chapters the very most. 3. I could continue writing this and start Hobbit sequel immediately without describing Tauriel in her early days as a guard. This is not a great option because those few years will have plenty of connection with what happens afterwards. It would leave a "black hole" which would be hard to fill no matter how quick or slow I make progress. Again these are just thoughts, for now I am continuing in the same fashion, but if I progress to slowly, I might jump into the option number 2 eventually. Option 3 is rather defectual.**

 **Thank you for your continued back. Enjoy the chapter 22 and don't forget to give me your thoughts about it.**

 **Love,**

 **ME**

 **CHAPTER 22**

The warm morning made them sweat before they reached the first turn. Sun shone proudly on the cloudless sky lighting their way. Their small company consisted of two elleths and four guards. They were all good spirited so the conversation flowed freely between the six. Gileth forbid them to use any formalities while they traveled so they quickly grew content speaking to her. The only visible difference between Tauriel and Gileth's escort was that Tauriel's guards were dressed in their dark green uniforms and Gileth's in black and silver.

All four guards congratulated little Tauriel on her sense of humor as soon as they were out of hearing range. They would be arriving at sundown so they had a lot of time to enjoy pleasures which light hearted company and good mood provided. Excellent traveling conditions made their spirits lift and Gileth was increasingly cheerful for the absence of her parents.

Tauriel often wished to ask her about their relationship, but Gileth never gave her the opportunity. It was probably better not to dig into private family matters seeing as her parents already despised her and she didn't wish to give them any additional motive to think ill of her. She was curious to meet her brother even though her friend assured her that he was pure kindness.

They made two short stops to take a bite and let their rides rest. Tauriel felt at ease speaking with the guards deciding to use their prolonged socializing to acquire some combat skills before her return to the palace. She already began missing the prince before the noon passed, but enjoyed the ride all the same. Her companion's constant chatter didn't leave her much time for letting her mind wander.

The first farms came into view before the sun started to go down. Tauriel took great pleasure in observing everything that was new making up her mind to take a lot of extended walks. "So is your brother a farmer as well?" Tauriel asked curiously.

"Yes, he owns a lot of land. My parents were not pleased, but he wouldn't make a good councilor or a fearsome warrior." Gileth replied as they passed through the farms with population becoming thicker with every passing hour. "He lives near the village." she added pointing to her left where a stone house with beautiful garden stood. It was larger than Tauriel expected, but Gileth's brother at least didn't have an extravagant taste.

When they stood on the road and the only thing separating them from the gardens was a small wooden fence; two proud looking yet friendly faces approached to greet them. Gileth dismounted without waiting for her help too eager to greet her brother. "Gwador." she exclaimed without any kind of ceremony. Tauriel had to remember that this was her family.

Her brother did not look surprised by such a greeting; he simply chuckled and tapped her back with affection. Tauriel came to stand two steps behind her friend uncertain of how to proceed while Gileth greeted her sister in law whose name she learned to be Leila.

"Brigolan this is my friend Tauriel." she lead her brother to greet his guest when they were done with their little reunion.

Her host observed her curiously. "Mae govannen Tauriel, im Brigolan. Le nathlam hi." he said after finishing his short examination.

Tauriel bowed her head in respect. "Saesa omentien lle Hir nin. Thank you for your gracious invitation." she replied remembering the right words to say.

"Sweet and polite, I like that. You should take a lesson or two from your friend sister." he smiled at her allowing his wife a short welcome before indicating the guards where they could rest and fussing about how thin Gileth was.

Brigolan took Tauriel to see her bedroom while his wife fussed over dinner and Gileth excused herself to go and change into a gown.

Tauriel found herself entranced by the size of her guest room thanking her host graciously. "Your guards are down the corridor, next door on your right. One call and they will be running in here like a thunder. Dinner will be in half an hour, make yourself comfortable." Brigolan informed her while she thanked him not really sure how to express proper gratitude for his kindness.

Gileth tried to persuade her friend into wearing a gown for supper, but Tauriel politely yet firmly declined that offer. _I am a commoner and they better get used to it._ She thought bitterly as she changed from her travelling clothes to a simple brown boots, pants and a red tunic with short sleeves. The atmosphere in the room was cheerful though Tauriel wished she could invite her guards to join them, but knew that would be incredibly impolite. First night in the unfamiliar room was peaceful enough apart from an occasional nightmare.

* * *

Gileth's brother gave them (or more accurately her) a tour of the estate after breakfast while Gileth tagged along enjoying the scenery. Brigolan indicated them where the stables were so Tauriel gave a short greeting to her handful mare who puffed in discontent for not being on the move.

Her host observed her gear curiously. "Where did you get those arrows little one?" he inquired voicing his inquiry out loud.

"They were a gift from the guards for my last birthday." she replied cheerfully not seeing anything wrong about the picture of elfling carrying weapons.

Brigolan raised an eyebrow, but gave no comment concerning her statement. "Do you know how to use them?" he continued the line of fire hardly surprised by anything anymore.

Her responsive blush only made him more curious. "Beleorn who is in charge of training new recruits for the royal guard is giving me lessons. He says that I am too unfocused, but I am getting better at hitting the target." she replied feeling quite embarrassed.

"Are you not a bit young to be trained in the guard still?" he asked surprised.

Tauriel sighed sadly at the truth of his claim. "I am no recruit. Beleorn merely volunteered to give me archery lessons because my father already started with them before he died." she replied wishing that the time would go by with greater speed so she could join her friend in combat.

"How old were you when your father placed a weapon in your hands for the first time?" he inquired further watching her with undisguised wonder. He never imagined an elfling as young as this one in a battle before.

Tauriel was tired of people telling her that she was too young to fight. "I was six when my father gave me a little wooden sword and started teaching me how to use it. Not long after that, he gifted me with a real sword matching my size." she replied with defiance in her voice challenging her host to give his opinion on her father's judgment, but Brigolan was merely curious.

Instead of hearing more criticizing of her father's behavior, she was invited to practice archery with Gileth whose face glowed at the proposition. His sister was more focused at the task at hand, but still completely inexperienced in the art of archery so her brother had to start from the very beginning.

Tauriel already knew all this so she limited herself to mimic her friend's positions. Her brother softly warned her when she was too rigid or too relaxed. He kept the lesson up until his wife called them inside for the afternoon meal. When the little elleth realized that her host had no intention to continue their practice for today, she politely excused herself to go wander the fields on her own.

They obliged her request, but warned her to stay close to the fields for her own safety. Tauriel enjoyed the warmth of the afternoon sun and kept her feet moving until the sun started to go down. She was met with a worried looking Leila at the door. "Thank the Valar, I was about to send your guards to look for you. Do you take this long walks when you're in the palace as well?" the elleth exhaled in relief.

"No, I am hardly inside when it is warm enough to stay out for any period of time. If I have studying to attend to, I take the book and climb on a tree to read it." little elleth smiled apologetically. Leila huffed as she led her inside to be greeted by her friend and her friend's brother who were already seated at the table.

When they were done with the meal, Tauriel saw her guards venture out for some fresh air and swiftly caught up on them. They were not planning to go anywhere, but found the elfling's company enjoyable so she stayed with them until one of them remembered to send her to sleep.

* * *

On their second day, Brigolan invited them to the village after the morning meal. Tauriel noticed that Leila preferred to stay inside the house; either because she had a lot of things to do or simply because someone had to stay and supervise the workers as they went by their everyday business.

The day in the village gave little elleth great pleasure. They stayed there from morning to dusk, eating in the local tavern. Gileth was familiar to most of them from her previous visits to her brother who was well known to the locals. Brigolan took a task to introduce his little guest to a few couples. Her initial fear of the possibility that he was looking for a family for her soon returned, but soon the elleth realized that these three couples had sons around her age.

Her anxiety was soon replaced with pleasure. The only elfling she ever met after her moving to the king's palace was Elethan and she preferred not to remember him. The first two young ellons were a little older than herself and not particularly cordials to her for being a girl. When she challenged them to a wrestling match they merely laughed at her, but she pinned one of them down with great swiftness so they stopped making fun of her and rather observed her in wonder.

She heard another chuckle from behind jerking around. It was another young ellon; not an elfling, but not far from one either. "How the mighty have fallen." he commented making Tauriel realize that he was laughing at her opponents and not at her.

When he caught her gaze, he approached them deliberately. His face even though representing his youth also showed some wisdom and patience. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ergolan and these two monkeys over there go by the names of Nerniel and Ildarion. You are not from around here?" he stated rather than asked.

Tauriel looked at him analyzing his features. "My name is Tauriel. I am visiting a friend's relative with my friend obviously." she replied with a hand on her chest in the usual formal greeting.

Ergolan raised an eyebrow, but greeted her in the same way. "Mae govannen Tauriel. Welcome to our lands. Would you like me to show you around?"He replied in the equal manner.

Her head nodded vigorously without a second thought. "Yes please." she replied with enthusiasm Ergolan did not often witness. He took her by the hand and showed her around the market place walking with deliberate slowness so she would have time to observe.

"How old are you?" little elleth asked without discomfort. She felt more at ease with him than with Gileths's family. Her hosts were very hospitable, but she couldn't help, but feel out of place,

Her companion had no trouble answering questions. "I am fourteen, but my birthday is in ten days. Your turn." he stated as they walked next to the bakery which sent mouthwatering scent in all directions. "Nine. Will you be celebrating it?" she replied curtly better at questioning than answering.

"There will be a small celebration. If you're still around here by that time, don't forget to drop by for a bite." he allowed grinning at her thirst for information.

"We plan to stay for two weeks, I'd be happy to join you, but I don't know how far is your home from my host's." she replied wondering how large and scattered this village was.

Ergolan looked thoughtful. "Who are you staying with?" he asked after a short thought.

"Lord Brigolan and his wife. They own a large estate on the outskirts." she explained without any real necessity for it.

He looked slightly surprised. "Everyone knows who they are around here. They are what we call elite of this land. Are you related to them?" he informed her.

"No, I am not nobility." she replied distracted.

"What are you then?" her companion asked her watching her thoughtful expression. He made a fair question. What was she?

She took in a sharp breath deciding to get it over with. "I am an orphan." she said defiantly calling back Beleorn's words of advice before they set off.

"I am sorry. Who are your parents?" he inquired not showing any bit of distaste at her dubious origin as Lady Gale once named it.

"My ada was the captain of the guard. He went by the name of Dehael." she replied proudly.

He hid his astonishment at this news. "I have heard of him. He was a fearsome warrior. What became of you when you lost your parents?" he continued unraveling this mystery which Tauriel was.

"Aran Thranduil and his son; well mostly his son are what could be called my guardians. I live in the palace." she replied with sadness in her voice. Now that she mentioned her friend, it was hard to press him into back of her mind. Legolas was like a drug that she needed to survive. Only the thought that this separation would be short gave her enough resolution to depart.

Ergolan's curiosity increased with every new thing she told him about herself. "Do they treat you well? I find some sindarian nobles rather prepotent." he voiced the second question not wishing to ask what initially came to his mind. He had a feeling that he should withhold that information.

"Ernil Legolas is my best friend; the Valar must have held me in their high favor when they placed him on my path when I needed him the most. Aran Thranduil is generous, but cold. It is his usual manner, but I grew very fond of him." Tauriel replied after a short deliberation. In truth, the king was not that cold to her, but she preferred for that to stay their little secret.

Their stroll continued while the young ellon forgot about their initial motive for starting this topic at all. The unresolved matter occurred to his mind as he lead her back to toward her host who just finished his conversation with a few locals and started to look around for his little guest.

"You are not very far from my home. It's in the village, but no more than an hour or two away. Why don't you drop by tomorrow around noon, I will introduce you to my mother. Also you are welcome to join us for a meal. Naneth will be pleased to meet you." Ergolan spoke before she had time to tell him goodbye for the day.

Tauriel was pleased for such a scheme; her host's house didn't feel very much to her taste. "That'd be great. I'll be here at noon tomorrow than." she smiled widely. Ergolan threw her back a grin and excused himself.

"Preoccupied?" Gileth asked with a risen eyebrow waiting for her with Brigolan when she came in front of them.

It was merely a curious observation. "A little bit perhaps." she allowed a small smile.

"So who is your new friend?" the elleth asked in her usual manner.

Friend? Were they already friends? They knew each other for about two hours. "His name is Ergolan, I don't know exactly who he is, we didn't cover that part yet." little elleth explained.

Her brother was the one that gave her an answer. "I know most of the locals. Ergolan is a good young ellon as any or at least I never heard anything ill about him. He lives with his mother; I don't know what happened to his father. He isn't peculiar in any way as far as I know." His words didn't give him credit in Tauriel's eyes. No offence was made, but clearly Ergolan wasn't a worthy company to keep in his opinion. It's probably his affection for his sister which made him invite her as a guest. Tauriel kept her opinion to herself without desire to be rude to Gileth's family for her friend's sake.

Suddenly, her tomorrow's plans became even more inviting. "I am invited tomorrow to his home for the afternoon meal and to meet his mother." she informed them rather than asked for their or anyone else's permission. Brigolan didn't seem to mind or care about it too much. Gileth was pleased that her friend would have something to give her pleasure and entertain her apart from herself from time to time.

* * *

Nothing interesting was said during their evening meal. The household always seemed to have enough food to feed an entire division of king Thranduil's guard placed on the dining table where rarely there were more than four people present. It was Tauriel's hope that so much food didn't go to waste. It was incredibly inconsiderate to throw away so much when so many people don't have anything to eat.

As the previous evening, she excused herself to go find her guards who were in their room speaking with Gileth's guards. They looked at her curiously as Alsidis tapped an empty cushion on his left for her to join them. They had a large parchment sprawled across a small table. It appeared to be a map, but it was hard to determine of which lands.

"Can you keep a secret pinmaethril?" Gwendor asked with a grin. When she nodded, he indicated her to the paper. She leaned in to get a better look.

"So what are we looking at?" she asked curiously trying to find a familiar place, but to no avail.

Alsidis finger pointed at a large line which represented a river. "This is river Anduin; are you familiar with it?" she shook her head knowing that she probably came across it sometime, but paid not much attention to roads and maps.

"It flows straight through the golden woods, home of our kin. Among all races, it is known by a different name." Tauriel nodded with information of all this. Legolas did speak to her about it.

"Lothlorien. Is it as beautiful as they say?" she asked trying to imagine it, but no one could ever picture it no matter how creative they were.

Alsidis smiled at her question. "No one here present has ever been there, but if you ever do; don't forget to share that knowledge with us." he chuckled, but Tauriel was back to studying the map now knowing what she was looking for.

"Anduin is long and unpredictable; it flows north to Fangorn and the plains of Rohan. That kingdom is home of the horse lords, the Rohirim. It is where they breed the horses with the purest blood. No cavalry can compete with theirs. It's what the stories say. The west shore is controlled by the race of men and orcs used to patrol the eastern. If you survive the passage through the deadly marshes, you will arrive to the black gates." Gwendor continued his story.

Little elleth widened her eyes. "Mordor; the lair of the dark lord. I can see why the discretion is needed here. You're not planning to pay a visit to these deadly marshes?" she asked studying their faces with fear when they didn't deny it at once.

A reply came from an unexpected side. "Personally, I think I'd like to take this adventure. I am not particularly fond of my current job. I am not fond of how Hiril Gale and Hir Brien treat those who by their opinion are beneath them and they have been even more difficult than per custom since Ernil Legolas relieved Hiril Gale of her healer duties.

Tauriel could understand better than most people the desire to see the world beyond her boarder's, but the mere mention of Mordor was not her idea of exploring; it was more of a death wish. "Perhaps Rivendall or Lothlorien would be more acceptable, but you have no business in that wasteland. It is probably filled with death and despair. There are so much more beautiful places to travel to. Believe me I know working with Hiril Gale is unbearable, but that idea is irrational as much as it is filled with peril. Why don't you apply for the Mirkwood guard if you detest what you do? Aran Thranduil could always use more warriors." she protested passionately only imagining what kind of danger they would walk into willingly and the image of their pale immobile faces almost made her shudder.

The all four of them looked at her surprised by her outburst. "No decision has been made little one, do not trouble yourself over it." Gileth's guard replied ending this discussion.

Alsidis knew telling this would not please anyone with at least a little bit of survival instinct. "How was your day pinmaethril?" Alsidis asked breaking the unpleasant silence.

Tauriel told them about Ergolan and her plans for tomorrow. "We will accompany you to the village, it is rather dull here. We'll take a walk while you go and meet your friend." they informed her of their intentions.

She looked thoughtful. "Alright, but under one condition. You won't be wearing your uniforms"

Gwendor and Alsidis gave her perplexed looks. "Everyone will know that you work for the king. I do not wish for anyone to come to a wrong assumption that I am royalty, nobility or anything of the sort." Tauriel elaborated watching their confused faces.

Alsidis looked at Gwendor who nodded for guidance. "You are as good as." Gwendor voiced his thought out loud only to receive a disapproving look from little elleth.

"I am still a sylvan as Hiril Gale most graciously reminded me. When I join the guard, I won't be any different from you so let's not imagine things that will never be." Tauriel replied rising from her seat to go to bed sensing four pairs of eyes watching her from behind as she closed the door. What she didn't realize is that four equally wide grins were on their faces.

 _Elven translation:_

 _Gwador – Brother_

 _Mae govannen Tauriel, im Brigolan. Le nathlam hi. - Well met Tauriel, I am Brigolan. You are welcome here._

 _Aran – King_

 _Ernil – Prince_

 _Hiril – Lady_

 _Hir – Lord_

 _Pinmaethril – Little (female) warrior_

 _Saesa omentien lle Hir nin - Pleasure meeting you my lord._


	23. Chapter 23

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **Jessie - Your idea sounds great and I had a vague inspiration about his birthday although I'm afraid I might have a different idea for a gift. Nevertheless, I will include it as soon as I see where exactly does it fit best at. When is also another issue. I'd like to make the season in which he was born meaningful.**_

 _ **Kotaku and 3POdroid - Stick with me and find out soon.**_

 _ **Nickey - I hope this chapter meets with your expectations.**_

 _ **As always thank you for your continued feedback. For now I am proceeding on schedule (so to speak). Until next chapter.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **ME**_

 **CHAPTER 23**

It was difficult to focus on anything, but on his thoughts. His father spoke and even though he heard him, he mostly remained silent. An occasional disapproving look from the king was the one and only acknowledgement of his displeasure with his son's spiritual absence. Legolas noticed not any of this while he deliberately chewed his meal without even realizing what he was eating.

The cause of his sudden lapse of attention and appetite was obvious, but Thranduil stood quiet. There was no one more pleased with this sudden trip than him. It even occurred to his mind to ask Gileth to extend their stay if they enjoy themselves, but this was not possible for two reasons of very different nature. First, Lady Gale and councilor Brien would spend a few days with their son shortly after the planned return of the first party. Second, he feared that his son would come to the idea of going after her to make sure everything was in order. They did not need any gossip of how much a prince of noble blood was attached to a common sylvan elfling.

The king disagreed with councilor Brien's extreme opinions, but his wife's words reminded him of all that was to be expected if they keep the little elleth with them. Tauriel grew to his heart, but he would have perused Elgrion's offer if his son did not so openly oppose to it. There was an additional motive for not taking this decision. Little elleth would apply for the guard in a few years and it was his moral duty to honor his promise to her. The guards already treated her like one of them and it was more than clear that it was only a matter of a few years before the initiation of her military training. Legolas was fond of her so he would never truly abandon her. It was probably that he would see less of her, but he would find a way to see her often.

Final outcome would be the same apart from the fact that he would resent his father until she was in his sight again. He also had no wish to frighten little elfling in that manner knowing how attached she was to his son. The prince was very protective of his little ward; he would disobey his father and king before allowing any harm to come to her.

Legolas walked out of the dining hall as soon as he was finished leaving his father to his thoughts. These halls seemed empty and lifeless without the usual chatter of his little friend who was gone only for three days. New recruits came in every part of the year without any rules. As soon as they would assemble a group, they would start training supervised by those whose job was to prepare new soldiers for the forest guard.

Beleorn was merely one of those although the most respected among them. The prince joined his training sessions when Tauriel departed eager to occupy his body and his mind with something that had nothing to do with thinking about her. New recruits watched with astonishment when no other; but king Thranduil's son gave them archery lessons. He perfected his already perfect skills while showing the recruits all the uses of a bow.

If he still had free time left upon finishing that (which he did), he would find an opponent to practice his skills with a sword for he had not much experience with that. It was not difficult to find someone to spar with him. This too did not occupy all his time; it left him with empty evenings. He would go and eat with his father; who would observe him disapprovingly again; after which he would find his or rather their tree and gaze upon the stars. Looking at them, he could remember her freely without feeling like some part of him was missing. The prince could not understand himself. These actions would seem reasonable if she was his bethroed, wife, beloved, but she was only an elfling still.

On the third morning of her stay, Tauriel woke up before anyone else in the house. Only a maid was on her feet already feeding the chickens, stealing their eggs and starting with breakfast. The dawn was beautiful and Tauriel wished to go and tend to her mare. She left the message with the maid for her host's to excuse her from the table this morning and that she would see them for dinner.

She used the quiet morning to brush her mare's thin chestnut red fur and dedicate her attention realizing that she did not see her for almost two days. The animal in question woke up recently and puffed in discontent feeling increasingly restless for the lack of activity. Tauriel finally managed to talk her into staying calm promising her a long ride.

They galloped together through the woods, but little elleth dared not go too far in this unfamiliar terrain. Her friend would probably be furious if he knew that she rode out by herself for she had little experience with the moods of animals. Leaving the mare in the stables she hurried over to meet Gwendor and Alsidis waiting for her.

"You shouldn't wander by yourself too much pinmaethril. There are dangers lurking in the dark which you can't even begin to picture." Gwendor commented, but he had no real authority over the little one he could use.

Tauriel just grinned. "I do it all the time. Don't worry, if I get into some serious trouble I am armed and when I blow into this, the whole cavalry of Mirkwood will save me, eventually." she replied with good humor, but the guards only grimaced.

"On the second thought, I want a raise." Alsidis replied trying to lighten the mood. They made their way to the village without too many words, but the company was pleasant enough.

When they found the small square, Ergolan was already there looking exactly as he did the day before. "Hello again Tauriel. You've brought company?" he asked with a high eyebrow.

Tauriel walked over unconcerned. "Those are Gwendor and Alsidis, my escort. Don't make it a public knowledge. They won't be joining us." she explained adding the last part in a hushed whisper.

"I heard that pinmaethril. Do not think I will be lenient with you when you join the guard." Alsidis called in good humor. Tauriel turned to him rolling her eyes and flashing him a grin before pulling her friend away.

Ergolan chuckled for himself. "So you want to join the guard? Does the king approve?" he asked hiding his interest on the subject well.

"That's the plan or rather a dream I have. The king is not too pleased, but will probably oblige me on the end and Legolas; well he is even less happy about it." Tauriel replied with a grimace. Again he is in the conversation. Why is she not capable to talk about someone else?

There was no answer for they arrived to what appeared to be his house. It was a cottage with small windows and a door at the front. The chimney was smoking and a mouthwatering smell greeted her before she entered the door. The young ellon nudged her inside. "Something smells good." she observed before she came inside. The size was modest; this central room seemed to serve as a kitchen, dining room and sitting room. She saw three doors on her left. Her own home was not much larger than this although she had a much larger garden.

A friendly looking elleth with black hair rushed in from the backyard dressed in a simple dark silver gown wearing a white rag around her waist; she was probably cooking. "Naneth, this is my friend Tauriel." Ergolan said when she came into the light. Tauriel's breathing stopped when she looked at her hair, black as the night. Her eyes were black as well. She looked ageless, but still beautiful. It was physically hard for the little elleth to stop staring at her.

"Mae govannen ielig, im Celestiel. Le nathlam hi." she spoke in a kind manner embracing Tauriel who watched wide eyed at her friend who was only grinning widely behind his mother's back.

"Saesa omentien lle Hiril nin." little elleth finally replied when she was released.

She was invited to the table without any previous ceremony. "I made apple pie sweetie, I hope that is agreeable with you. Do you wish me to relieve you of those arrows and that horn?" she chatted lively as she showed her to a chair.

"That sounds wonderful, hannon le. I'd like to take them off, but I promised the prince they would not leave my shoulders when I am awake." Tauriel replied not being used to be treated like this. "You have a beautiful home." she said looking around the cottage with undisguised fascination.

Celestiel just chuckled. "Hannon le ielig, but I am certain you are accustomed to more luxurious arrangements. Your host is the wealthiest elf in our village." the motherly elleth replied.

Little elleth shook her head vigorously. "The size of the house does not make a home; it is people who reside in it. I have nothing ill to say about my host and his hospitality, he was more than kind to me during my short stay, but I don't feel at home there. Material possessions do not attract me unless they have a special meaning." Tauriel assured her host who looked at her a little taken aback by such a declaration, but smiled at her honesty.

The food was soon placed before them. "You speak wise words for such a young elleth. My son will benefit greatly from your company. I'm glad the fate brought you here." Celestiel spoke with the same amount of honesty.

Tauriel made an effort not to laugh. "I'm not certain that my stay in your village will give me enough time to pass all my wisdom to your son Hiril nin." she replied addressing his mother, but looking at the son with a mischievous grin.

Ergolan rolled his eyes with amusement. "You will find me to be a very fast learner pinmaethril. That is what that guard of yours called you was it?" he replied nudging her playfully.

The conversation flowed freely between the three. Tauriel almost felt like she was at home only missing one crucial part. Her thoughts went back to the prince, she yearned to see him again, but that will not happen for the next ten days. Tauriel couldn't lie to herself, she wasn't miserable here. Ergolan and his mother were good souls and easy to be around with. She learned that Ergolan's mother was a healer. His son would often go to collect herbs for her; he knew how they looked like, but had barely any knowledge of herbal medicine.

Next three days passed in an equal manner. She would eat with her hosts in the morning than go to the village where Ergolan would always wait on the same spot. They would walk around the woods until it was time for the afternoon meal and look for herbs. When she spotted the one that was not familiar to her, he would tell her what it was. Her thirst for knowledge was unquenchable. When they would finish their business there, she would share afternoon meal with them as a ritual. He showed her where Ildarion and Nerniel lived so they would invent some kind of competition and the four would stay together until Tauriel excused herself to go back to her hosts.

Brigolan and Leila were no longer surprised when she would spend the entire days away from the house; not that they gave her much thought anyway. After the first week, her absences increased in length when Ildarion and Nerniel's parents started inviting her sometimes for breakfast, sometimes for dinner. Lunch was traditionally spent with Ergolan who she was the most acquainted with.

The novelty when she started to attend dinners with her new friends was that Leila sent her guards to bring her back for they usually ended quite late. Sometimes, Alsidis and Gwendor came to the village and socialized with the locals long before they could expect Tauriel. She was no longer present for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Only activity she performed at her host's house was sleeping. No matter how busy her schedule seemed to become, she always sat half the night awake thinking about her friend; sometimes letting a few tears slide down her cheeks.

Her dreams were sometimes bearable, but they too started to grow worse once again. Their remedy was still a week away so she endured it with hope for better days. Evening before Ergolan's birthday there was a small event on the little main square. Ergolan, Ildarion, Nerniel and Tauriel could rarely be found separated. The night of the fair was filled with lights, acrobats, music and food. Gileth was there with her brother and sister in law, but she let Tauriel wander with her friends. Their short friendship would end in less than three days anyway.

Ergolan tried to teach Tauriel to dance, but that mostly ended in her stumbling over him and all four of them laughing at her clumsiness. It was highly embarrassing for Tauriel, but she too was amused by herself. When they were done eating and feasting for the night, Tauriel returned with her hosts, her friend and the guards to the manor. Tomorrow was Ergolan's birthday. Little elleth did not know what small celebration meant in either his mother's or his vocabulary, but at least she was certain that both Ildarion and Nerniel would be there with their parents.

On that particular day, she ate with her hosts on one of the rare occasions. Brigolan and Leila ignored her altogether, but Gileth chatted lively with her making the most of this unusual opening in her friend's schedule. "When Ernil Legolas inquires after your behavior, I won't know what to say to him mellon." she teased her goodheartedly.

"I would say I am sorry, but it would be a lie. There are no elflings in the palace and I will have more than enough time to look at you particularly if we both join the guard." Tauriel replied cheerfully feeling more eager to get up in the morning when she had what to do and who to do it with.

Brigolan shot a look in Gileth's direction which she ignored, but Tauriel noticed it. Her brother was probably as pleased with that plan as their parents. _Gileth will confront her entire kin to join the guard. I wonder if I would ever have the courage to challenge my father like that if he forbids me to chase after that dream._ Tauriel suddenly realized pleased that her father encouraged her; rather than placed obstacles in her way. Training in the guard is difficult enough without having the necessity to fight your own parents at home. Would Gileth move to the guard wing when she is accepted as a recruit? Tauriel suddenly remembered that her father's opinion meant nothing anymore for he was not among the living if that could be the little consolation to losing him to lord Mandos. Her desire to fight and decapitate an orc or any other foul creature that endangers her loved ones resurfaced with great force.

Ergolan's house was empty when she arrived so she went around back to find him sitting on a wooden fence. When he spotted her, he jumped down with a grin plastered on his face. "I wish you a very happy birthday and many more to come." she said giving him a short hug before taking a little box out of her pocket.

"I brought you a little something." she informed him rather unnecessarily when his eyes fell upon her palm. It was small, but he appreciated the gesture.

When he was in the possession of the box, he peeked curiously inside taking out a simple brown bracelet with a small charm hanging from it. "I made it myself. I know it is not much, but take it as a small token of friendship." she spoke without being able to decipher from his expression whether he thought it appropriate.

"It is perfect, thank you. I never told you how I agreed with your opinion when you came to meet my naneth. I prefer a meaningful token a thousand times over any kind of treasure." he smiled at her giving her a peck on the cheek. She looked surprised, but did not refuse the contact.

They knew each other for so short that it appeared odd to be so familiar with each other. "Naneth, look Tauriel brought me a gift. She made it herself" Ergolan called making Tauriel jump slightly for she didn't hear the elleth approach.

"It is quite beautiful dear. That was very nice of you. Who taught you how to carve wood?" Celestiel gave her opinion upon taking a brief look at what her son was showing her.

"I caught Gwendor, one of my guards carving a horse one day and asked him to teach me. He is more skilled in that art than me, but he told me that if I put my effort into it; a piece of me will always remain with the person I give it to. I don't know how much true that is, but I thought that if he made it, it would have a different meaning." Tauriel replied helping Celestiel set the table outside ignoring all her protests about it not being necessary.

When everything was on the table, she brought the food and refreshments out. It was a little feast; nothing like king Thranduil's notion of little. In truth, there were only ten chairs and there was nothing ostentatious made for the occasion. The guests started arriving soon after; in truth only the two elflings with their parents, but it made the atmosphere more homely,

Tauriel was well acquainted with all of them; no one ignored her like back at the manor. Sometimes, more than one question would come at the same time. Celestiel offered her food every time she saw that her plate was empty. _This elleth would make me so large if I stayed here for any extended time._ She thought goodheartedly. In truth, Celestiel was a power of nature, a gift from the Valar.

The guards came a little early so they exused themselves to go back to the square, but Celestiel was so persistent for them to stay and eat something that they had no other choice, but to accept and they graciously thanked her for her kindness. In true, they found the elleth very welcoming and she was not satisfied until they ate three full plates filled with food. A birthday would not be a real birthday without a cake. Celestiel made a simple, yet tasty cake with mixture of various kinds of fruit which were currently in season. Tauriel who was already full ate it with greed. This elleth sure knew how to cook. When she politely asked for another piece, Celestiel's grin was wide.

Tomorrow was the last day of their visit. Tauriel would miss her new friends greatly, but the desire to see her most treasured friend overpowered any emotion of uneasiness. She was impatient to see him again now that their reunion was so near. She spent the day with her friends; only eating her breakfast with her hosts. The four of them made their way to the little clearing they used to practice their skill with swords. Of course, those swords were small and made of wood and Ergolan seemed to be the most skilled among them. It was enjoyable to perform an activity which for so long brought thrill through her veins while her father was alive.

His reminder was everywhere. It was like his spirit was in the leaves, the grass and the wind. Would he haunt her thoughts forever? That particular word had a very significant meaning for the beings who among other traits had immortality. The little improvised training session lasted until evening. Ergolan was impressed by Tauriel's clear skill even though she was not allowed to use any weapon, but her arrows since the palace became her home.

Nerniel's parents who invited all of them to dinner made sure to make Tauriel's final evening as pleasant as possible. There was no manner to properly thank them for their hospitality, but she tried to express herself with words as much as her abilities allowed it. Her friends swore that they would be there fresh and early in the morning to see her off.

That morning finally arose; the sky was grey, gloomy and filled with rain clouds. This did not promise them fine weather for their journey and Gileth refused all her brother's attempts to persuade her to stay for another day until the sky became bright again. The elleth had no true rush to go home, but she knew that Tauriel was eager to see the prince and that he would probably send out a search party if they were too much delayed. Gileth was aware of Tauriel's nightmares, but knew that it was not her place to comfort her.

She contributed all her wavering mood to the absence of the prince. They took off shortly after breakfast. Tauriel promised her friends that she would ask the king if she could invite them to be her guests once in a while, but could not make any more concrete promise. Ergolan hugged her goodbye promising her that they would see each other sooner than she imagined.

Little elleth was too preoccupied with her traveling arrangements to notice something odd in his tone. Tauriel felt like she was going to miss them all, but the thought of seeing her friend overpowered any such uneasiness. The party set off on schedule and all seemed to be going according to the original plan, but such trip which seemed intact was bound for disaster.

Little after noon, clouds finally reached them and released their contents making them soaking wet in only a few minutes. They were still hours away from the palace, the rising torrent didn't seem to be diminishing. Soon the grass was soaked with water and the only refuge while they rode by the river seemed to be the trees which would soon stop to shield them.

They tried to keep up the pace for nearly half an hour without success. It was hard even for elves to see anything which wasn't in their close proximity. The safety required them to keep close to the river to avoid any potential spider nests. It almost certain that there weren't any this near the king's dwelling, but it would be foolish to take such a risk. Their cloaks could no longer give them any warmth. Tauriel was freezing, but would have the strength to continue their way if Gileth did not detain their company to speak to Alsidis who was the closest to her. "We must find shelter until this subsides. Is there a cave nearby?" she asked rising her voice to outvote the thunder that erupted in that moment.

They encountered themselves by the river bank when the lightning stroke a tree down only a few feet ahead of them. They all instinctively covered their faces, but the tree was too distant to be dangerous in any way. "There is a cave about half a mile away Hiril nin or less. It is our best shot. It is not safe." Gwendor shouted through the storm.

The course was agreed upon eagerly and they tried to move their exhausted horses as quick as they would go. They encircled the burning tree to avoid the fire which was being extinguished quickly with the rain. Somehow, they found the cave through the shower and Tauriel was pleased to see that it was big enough to shelter them and their animals. Just as they entered it, another lightning exploded in the distance making them all jump with widely open eyes. Apparently, this would be their camp for the night.

 _Elvish translations:_

 _Pinmaethril - Little (female) warrior_

 _Naneth - Mother_

 _Mae govannen ielig, im Celestiel. Le nathlam hi. - Well met daughter, I am Celestiel. You are welcome here._

 _Saesa omentien lle Hiril nin - Pleasure meeting you my lady._

 _Ielig - Daughter_

 _Hiril nin - My lady_

 _Ernil - Prince_

 _Hannon lle - Thank you_


	24. Chapter 24

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **You have been busy with reviews and I heartily express my gratitude for them.**_

 _ **Most of your questions will be answered in this chapter. I'm sorry for those who will be disappointed by me not starting a battle in that cave, but that was never truly my intention.**_

 _ **queenmia - I can't find the specific part where I wrote that, but my story consists mostly of Tauriel's internal struggle (and occasionally the prince's too) so I am almost sure that it was Tauriel who gave a thought about their very peculiar relationship. I highlight that this does NOT mean that either of them have developed any kind of romantic feelings toward each other. Tauriel is still a child!**_

 _ **Enjoy the new chapter & don't forget to give me your thoughts about it!**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **ME**_

 **CHAPTER 24**

The storm raged outside not loosening its grip. It was a typical summer shower which seemed to last for a bit longer than usual. Any expectation of the arrival of the party tonight was now lost, but the prince could not calm down his anxiety reproaching his foolishness upon letting his little friend go to any extended amount of time by herself. His mind did not seem clear even on the fact that she was not alone. Gileth was with her and four guards accompanied them.

His father would be annoyed if he mentioned his worries to him so he found a little relief to his uncertainty in speaking with the captain. "No sign of them?" his question rang for the hundredth time since the sun went down.

"No mellon, they must be waiting for this rain to dissolve. It would be dangerous to travel during the dark." Laeorn shook his head trying to encourage the prince.

Legolas shook his head. "They should have been here by now." he couldn't help, but voice this out loud.

"Go to sleep mellon, they won't be arriving before tomorrow. Hopefully, this torment will end by morning." the captain smiled tapping his shoulder before going to his patrol.

The company assembled around the fire soon after they arrived. Fortunately, someone left the fire wood inside so they wouldn't be obliged to go outside to find it. Tauriel was not pleased to be seated here. She had expected to see her friend today, but the fate seemed to make other plans. They ate their ration of travel food in silence.

"You should go to rest mellon. We won't be moving on until morning at the very least." Gileth encouraged the little elleth who simply sat and stared at the fire. This night was so simmilar to the one where she lost her parents and was saved by the prince.

She made no move to do as Gileth suggested. The elleth sighed, but did not insist upon her rest. This delay was affecting Tauriel more than anyone else. Alsidis stayed to keep the watch for any possible threats. Their clothes dried by the fire, they changed their wet garments in the little secluded chamber which they used as a wardrobe. Tauriel's cloak was enwrapped around her little figure, but the cold was not what bothered her.

Her head leaned on the stone wall and she fell asleep after long hours or letting her tears fall in silence. The thunder in the distance didn't help the cause, but eventually she let the exhaustion take over. Nightmares did not bypass her, but at least she did not stir or wake anyone.

Not even the long night could make her rest properly. She woke up at dawn while the others still slept. One of Gileth's guards was on the watch when she approached him to see what became of the torment. "The rain stopped a couple of hours ago. There are still clouds in the sky. Let us hope that today we'll be able to retake our journey." he informed her before she asked.

Tauriel spirits lifted up a little in a renewed hope that she would see her friend soon. It was another couple of hours before the rest of the company rose from their slumber and they ate a little ration of their remaining food. Gileth and Gwendor spoke about the journey. The guard suggested to delay another couple of hours for precaution in case the rain decided to drop on them again.

Such scheme did not agree with Tauriel, but she knew she had no say in the matter so she simply sat in the corner with a little green leaf brooch on her palm. She saw it in the village on one of the stalls and inevitably remembered her friend. It would be a gift for him if she ever gathered the courage to present it to him. They left her to daydream in her corner conscious that there was nothing they could say to lift her spirits up.

The fate seemed to grace them this morning when the sun started to come out and win the battle against clouds. Little elleth was the first ready to depart as soon as she heard that it was time to pack. Gileth simply grinned at her as she tied her packages back on her light brown mare. Tauriel also jumped swiftly into her saddle and they were ready to take off without any further delays.

Legolas ate his afternoon meal with his father making up his mind to assemble a search party. His anxiety was no longer deniable. "Peace Legolas." the king finally ordered him while watching his son impatiently tap his fingers on the table next to his plate.

"If they are not back in two hours, I will send a squad to look for them. They might have ran into trouble." the prince finally said not being able to pretend anymore that he was able to eat.

If the king felt any sort of anxiety, he did not show it. "Maybe your friend is enjoying herself too much and decided to extend her visit." he suggested knowing that this would have little effect on his impatient son.

"They would have sent a messenger. I'm going to look for the captain." Legolas replied standing up to walk to the door. His father would have detained him if Beleorn's voice didn't come booming from the corridor.

"You are late solider. What do you have to report!?" his voice rang around the hall making the prince's sudden expectation turn into disappointment for a brief time while he thought that a guard just came back from a patrol.

The answering voice made him sigh in evident relief. "My head is still where it should be sir and the weather is warm again. " Tauriel replied using the same official tone before embracing her friend delighted to see him.

"Excellent job, now run along pinmaethril! You are wanted in the dining hall." Beleorn praised her and the prince heard her quick running footsteps approach.

He waited patiently for her to reach them and she was quick. "There is the heart and the soul of this palace." Legolas called when she came into view with a huge grin on her flushed face.

"Mellon." she called quickening her steps to jump into his waiting arms. He lifted her up effortlessly and placed a long kiss on her cheek.

"Welcome back tinu nin. Nae saian luume'." the prince replied not letting her down now that she was finally where she belonged. Her hands tangled around his neck and held him in a firm grip.

Finally, Legolas remembered his father and reluctantly placed her down, but not before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Tauriel too noticed the king and hastily slided across the floor to stand before him. She slightly bowed and looked expectantly at his usual unreadable expression.

The prince tried to keep the grin off of his face challenging his father to refuse her now. The king looked at her unimpressed before complying and lifting her up to place a short kiss on her cheek. "Did you have a good journey back Tauriel?" Thranduil asked still holding her around the waist while her arms found their way around his neck.

Little elleth grimaced a little at his inquiry "It was interesting and potentially fatal, but we are all in one piece Hir nin." she replied cheerfully. Her report was in contradiction with her current radiant mood.

The prince seemed too alarmed to ask the questions, but the king looked only mildly surprised by her statement so he inquired further in perfect calmness. "What happened?" he asked with a risen eyebrow.

"Lightning stroke a few of the trees down a little after we passed underneath them, but we were out of its reach. We slept in a cave for the remaining of the torrent." Tauriel shrugged trying to minimize any potential threats, but the prince's eyes went wide.

If the king's nature were warmer, he would have laughed at her casual report on their possible demise, but he made no comment. "As far as I witnessed no power on this earth can strike you down. Run along now, I have business to attend to." Thranduil simply stated placing her back on her feet, but not before she placed her lips on his left cheek. He tapped her shoulder with affection before she ran out of the room in the same speed she used to enter it.

Tauriel practically crushed into the grinning captain who made his appearance on the bottom of the staircase. "There you are pinmaethril. I just received the report from your guards on your adventure. You were reckless on your trip." Laeorn chuckled placing a hand on top of her head.

"I behaved like a perfect little angel Hest." little elleth replied with mischief in her tone.

The captain chuckled "I'm sure you did little mellon. Run along to your room now, I'm sure you must be wary after your journey." he replied with mixture of sarcasm and amusement.

"Let me show you how tired I am mellon. I challenge you to a duel. En guard!" Tauriel seemed full of energy and not in the mood to be sent to her room. She drew her little wooden sword out of its covers. Ergolan told her to bring it with her as a parting gift.

Her friend looked taken aback; his keen eyes not spotting her newest weapon before now. "I see you've been busy, but I fear that particular duel will have to wait until I am off duty." Laeorn smiled before departing and leaving the elleth to huff in discontent behind him. Her journey made her even more restless.

Tauriel made a quick stop to her bedroom to lose her weapons and the horn she wore twenty four hours a day during the past two weeks. If it didn't hang around her neck; it inevitably rested under her pillow and her head rested on top of it.

Her brief encounter with her friend did not put the flame out; on the contrary it ignited her desire to see him and speak with him even more. Hot bath did not help the cause, but she knew that yesterday's rain and mud made her smell so she quickly cleaned herself up and changed into fresh clotnes.

Her feet made the decision upon her direction before her mind even registered it. She was quick when she wanted something forcefully and right now, she wanted to see her friend; the same one who kept her mind awake for hours during the nights when her exhausted body required sleep.

Soft voice from inside his room granted her entrance. A tall silouette stared out the window; his face was not looking at the door. Only visible part of his head was the blond hair which cascaded down his back. The expression his face held was mixture of thoughtfulness, sadness and peace.

His head slightly inclined when the door closed and no one spoke. Familiar gust of hair chased all the memories away and he smiled. His wide smile brighted the room while his little friend all, but flew into his arms; the same arms which encompassed her little form like they were made for the sole purpose of holding her there.

He breathed in her familiar scent while placing soft kisses all over her head without saying a single word. The endured suspense, her retail of their journey made him feel like for the first time in many years he could cry. It wasn't only that he could; he sensed the need to do it; like when he was no more than a little elfling who grieved for his mother. Little elleth both calmed down that urge and made it worse. He felt awful for having this reaction now that she was finally back to him.

Tauriel was silent for a long while content with his proximity. "You have been greatly missed tinu nin." Legolas spoke first trying to convey her the depth of his emotions and stay light at the same time.

"I missed you too." Tauriel admitted tightning her hold on his neck. Her lips found his exposed cheek with obvious years of practice and he sighed contently before placing her to sit on his bed which appeared empty during her absence.

"Did you have a good time?" the prince asked sitting merely a couple of inches away from her. This sudden gap between them did not suit the little elleth no matter how minor. Her hands found his waist and her head rested on his chest before she replied.

"I did." she admitted reluctantly.

His hands enwrapped her little form and patiently waited for her unsatisfactory answer. "You sound ashamed of it. Why is that I wonder?" he chuckled drawing soothing circles on her left arm. Tauriel did not reply; in truth she didn't even understand why that made her feel the way it did.

"Did someone dare to treat you with unkindness?" his line of thoughts surprised her, but not as much as his sudden change of demenour. His voice seemed urgent and his posture radiated cold fury.

Tauriel sat up to look straight into his eyes. "No one was unkind to me mellon. Gileth's brother was hospitable and his wife... I don't truly know how to describe his wife; they are an odd pair if you ask me. I just felt out of place at their family circle that's all." she tried to prevent any unjustfied retliation towards her host speaking a little faster then usual.

"Don't tell me you have an issue with sharing a table with nobilitty. I thought you overcame that long time ago." the prince teased while the elleth exhaled in relief.

She just shook her head. "I don't have a problem with sitting with the nobilitty. I have one with feeling comfortable while doing so." she replied making little sense even to her own ears and not watching her words.

"Does that mean you feel uncomfortable while eating with me and my father?" Legolas had a look of deep contemplation on his face.

Tauriel didn't know how to explain this to him. "You're not like others mellon. Your kindness to me comes from your good heart, but sometimes kindness is a result of more selfish motives like pride for instance. Brigolan, Gileth's brother treated me well, but he was not completely honest with himself on the reason behind it. You, on the other hand, treat me as we are equal and make me feel like it because you truly believe that I am no different from you." Tauriel tried to explain tumbling with her own words more than once during her short speech.

Something like defiance sparkled in the dephts of his eyes. "That is because we are equal little mellon except perhaps for the fact that I am bigger and fight better than you." he replied starting with incredible conviction and finishing with a mischievous grin.

Tauriel hit him with the pillow out of nowhere and pinned him down with a smirk. The prince could have easily outpowered her, but he was much too enteratained to try. "We shall see your royal highness. One day I will fight by your side and when that day comes; I will be match for your skills. I will challenge you." little elleth defied him with confidence.

Suddenly, she was the one laying flat on her back against the mattress. "Until that day comes; I still win hiril nin." Legolas laughed placing a quick kiss on her flushed forehead.

For some reason, Tauriel failed to mention her newly aquired friend. They didn't reach that particular chapter of her tales and she wasn't in the rush to speak about it either. Thranduil briefly inquired about councilor Brien's son, but apart from that didn't seem interested in any other part of the journey.

Little elleth remembered resenting Brigolan for simmilar attitude, but she could not find an equal sentiment in her chest for her king. Perhaps, she would have been more just to Brigolan if she knew him better. This tall proud cold elf sitting beside her only hid a warm heart behind his cold face. Even if that wasn't the case; Tauriel would have still looked up to him. His flaws as well as his virtues made him who he was.

The last exchange of words between him and his son could not take place without Tauriel placing her small arms around his waist. She paid little attention to their conversation; too tired to remember a single word so she simply buried her head in the king's side and blinked evenly fighting the exhaustion. Thranduil absently placed an arm on her head and stroke her hair. She was perfectly motionless in duration of their conversation.

When his attention was undivided, he noticed her eyes were half closed. "You are sleeping pinmaethril. It's time for little elflings to go to bed." he stated.

Tauriel nodded obidiently and released her arms from his waist only to climb into different embrace whose arms were warm and inviting. Before her head even touched his shoulder, she was already asleep and remembered nothing about how she reached her bed.

She was awaken by another nightmare; not that it should surprise her by now. Would they ever stop or was this penalty for her unknown or not yet committed sin? It was an old dream, but that didn't make it any less terrible than it was the first time. A dragon filled with his fire breath and the city was in flames. It descended from the sky releasing a thundering noise. Little elleth could almost feel the fire as her encounter with death became inevitable. Her hands went to cover her face as the flames approached releasing one last scream.

The next thing she was aware of were two gentle hands shaking her while the voice passed from the background and into immediate focus. "Tauriel, Tauriel, it is just another dream. Wake up. Open your eyes." he called again and again until she obbeyed him at last.

Her breathing was frantic as she stared straight ahead only to find familiar blue eyes gazing at her with utmost worry. When her mind registered what had transpired, she became aware of three different things. Firstly, he held both of her hands in his single one and they were pinned to her waist. Secondly, the hand that shook her now wiped the sweat from her face. Thirdly, he looked into her eyes while he did all this.

Tauriel finally found her voice. "If you want to get any sleep tonight, I should sleep in my own room." she voiced the thought from the back of her mind.

The prince looked at her unamused by such a proposition. "What were you dreaming about? I shook you for straight five minutes without the abilitty to wake you. Even the screams started on the very end." he asked caressing her face still hovering over her.

"Ask me again in the morning." she plead though without the intention to allow him a denying answer. He observed her for a few moments before allowing her to turn her back on him. When he covered her again, his hand wrapped around her waist and he stroke her hair until he was certain that she was asleep.

He had every intention to ask her again in the morning, but not the heart to wake her when she seemed so deeply asleep. Tauriel seemed to be getting much needed rest and there was time later to ask her questions. Before he reached the bottom of the staircase, he spotted Gileth who apparently had intention to climb it.

"Good morning hiril nin. You are up early." Legolas greeted her politely. She seemed a little surprised to see him, but held her ground.

"It is indeed ernil nin. I am here to find Tauriel actually." Gileth replied with a slight bow.

Legolas used his father's demenour when addresing her though he appeared more accessible than the king; his youth didn't entirely give him that look of wisdom which the king aquired during his long years of life and encounters with tragedy. "She is asleep right now. The night was long and she was exhausted." he replied not directly forbidding her to go and see her, but making it very clear that it was not desirable at the moment.

Gileth sighed. "It is only natural. She did cry herself to sleep the night before and I don't think she was getting much rest to begin with during our trip." she replied wondering whether it would be politely to exuse herself or if that would be considered rude.

"Please join us for breakfast. What is the reason of her low spirits?" the prince replied trying to be cordial and curious at the same time. The result was Gileth's nod and a small grin.

They walked side by side to the dinning hall. "We were scheduled to reach the palace by evening, but the storm made us detain and seek shelter in a cave for the night. I knew Tauriel was unhappy with the arrangement, but unfortunately those thunders could have been deadly for any of us out in the open so Gwendor and I decided it was for the best. I could almost bet you that she would have persued the road if she was by herself. As the time for our return grew nearer, she became more restless. The reason is not difficult to guess ernil nin. She wanted to see you." Gileth replied thoughtful not even requiring to look upon his face to know how those words affected him.

Thranduil was not in the dinning hall yet so Legolas had an opportunity to inquire further. His heart was warm upon the knowledge that she had missed him as much as he had missed her, but it was also pained by the knowledge that she was hurting and he wasn't there to give her comfort. "Was she miserable the whole trip then?" he asked unhappily.

To his surprise Gileth chuckled. "No ernil nin, far from it. Her new friends and their parents kept her quite occuppied during the day. Her mood was low only when she was alone or in the presence of my brother. He meant no offence, but I can see why some of his expressions might rise her temper. Brigolan does not share my parent's views in theory, but some of their words can't be erased easily." she replied sadly knowing that Tauriel did not particularly enjoy her brother's hospitalitty.

"Tauriel mentioned no friends." Legolas commented thoughtful.

Gileth enjoyed her moment of wisdom in front of the prince. Being a girl allowed her to see things from a different perspective and observe Tauriel's actions. "I imagine she didn't. There were three of them, but she seemed most attached to the one named Ergolan. He was the eldest in the group, fourteen I think though they celebrated his birthday before we took off. They spent the entire days with each other. I hope you are prepared for a little competition." she grinned slightly knowing that unlike the king, the prince would take her words as what they were; teasing.

Legolas had a wide mixture of emotions. On one side, he was happy that Tauriel found something which would make her time well spent, but on the other, he was afraid to lose her to this faceless rival. "I'm glad that she had a good time. Is her new friend a competition?" he asked trying to sound as teasing as her, but only half-succeeding in his intention. His little friend didn't seem to realize that he was as addicted to her presence; as she was to his.

"They probably won't see each other much or at all in the future ernil nin so you're safe. A word of unwanted advise. Do not allow other to take advantage of your reluctance. Ergolan might have been a short period of her life, but other will take his place to be for her what you deny her and she so desperatly wants." Gileth spoke with a knowing look.

The prince only looked confused at such a statement. "I never denied her anything." he stated searching for her meaning.

Fortunately, Gileth was too young to speak in the riddles like lady Galadriel or lord Elrond would probably do. "You haven't done it yet hir nin because she did not ask you for it. Her dream is to fight and protect. Have you ever considered the motive behind such a desire?" she elaborated watching his face fill with recognition. When he didn't reply, she continued. "She is afraid; not only for herself, but for others as well, especially you. You never wondered why her dreams rarely entitle her own demise? No matter which degree of protection you provide her with; she still feels defenceless. Learning to defend herself will give her confidence she needs to fight those dreams and beat her insecurities. It is pointless to protect her innocence at this point when she witnessed so much mayhem already. If you will not train her, someone else like Ergolan will. Another unwanted advise. Do not be the one to deny her this dream; not you of all people. She could resent you for it one day. Just look at my family. I barely speak to my own parents. We're about to go back to my brother in a few days and I already know that they will unite to try and stop me and I will stand my ground. Do you truly wish to be like my mother?" she spoke for a long while until they heard footsteps approaching.

Gileth stood up to greet the king and Legolas mechanically mimicked her gesture. Thranduil looked mildly surprised to see her. Elleth knew that the prince was in deep contemplation so she addressed the king to spare him from having to reply. "Aran nin. I'm sorry to yet again intrude this early, but I merely wished to see Tauriel and ernil Legolas informed me that she was still asleep. I hope my presence does not inconvinience you." she chatted lively attracting the king's attention.

The king simply dismissed her apologiez. "Do not trouble yourself. I've been meaning to summon you anyway. I wished to inquire about Tauriel's behaviour." he voiced showing her where to sit. Legolas was grateful to the talkative elleth for allowing him time to collect his jumbled thoughts.

Another long report on Tauriel during their trip left both the father and the son to listen while only Thranduil asked an occassional question. The king was pleased that she found some company which would aliviate his son's time; if only he wished it, but he also knew that was a lost cause; and not only because of the fact that they lived so far away.

Upon finishing his meal, Legolas wished for nothing more than to go and see his little friend, but much to his dismay; his duties impeded him. They planned to enclose in on a spider's nest tommorow and the planning required his spiritual and physical presence.

When they finished their afternoon meal, Legolas went to supervise his division of recruits spotting Tauriel's face fall for not being able to accompany him. The prince did not forget about his conversation with Gileth, but his made was not made up. _Not today._ he repeated in his head over and over again.

They had no chance to speak until the evening while little elleth unbraided his hair. This little moment of affection was missed as well. He wanted to speak with her about her dreams, but had a hard time formulating his question. Tauriel knew this, but avoided his persistant eyes.

"Gileth seems to think that I have competition." the prince voiced his thoughts in this manner. This would at least keep the mood light.

Tauriel blinked in confusion leaving his last braid to fall on its own. He turned to pierce her with a smug gaze. "Competition?" little elleth tested that word on her tongue confused by such a declaration.

"Your friend. You know the one you failed to mention?" Legolas elaborated watching her face spark with recognition and a light blush appear on her cheeks. Such a reaction would mistify even the more expirienced elves then himself.

Little elleth tried to formulate her apology and confession in the same breath. "Goheno nin, I did not have the intention to hide his exsistence; it was just ... I don't know why I omitted that piece of information." her jumbled barely understanable response came apologetically.

It was truly a talent to use so many words and not give anything away. "U-moe edaved. Is your new friend my potential rival?" the prince grinned at her in order to hide his true curiousity.

There were some matters which Tauriel took very seriously independently of whether they were meant to be a joke. "Wait what!? No!" she spoke in a rush slightly alarmed by such a ridiculous thought. Her voice was an octave higher then per usual.

Her spontaneous reaction disturbed the prince while he watched her face pale down in shock. "Easy mellon nin. I think that the fact of me having a competition should alarm me and not you." he tried to tease her again not learning from his previous mistake.

Tauriel regained the function of her mouth. "Don't be ridiculus mellon, no one could ever compete with you. Ergolan was a good friend and fun to be around, but on the end I was happy to leave him and come back to you. It was you who was in my every thought at all hours of the day or night." she shot in two breaths trying to erase the irrattional red light from her head.

"Were those the same nights where you could barely sleep?" he inquired seeing his chance to inquire what he really wanted to know and taking it without thought. Her face changed from urgency to reluctance upon realizing how well informed of her whereabouts he seemed to be and knowing who was responsible for gathering this information.

Some hidden strength and indignation came from her mind. "I would greatly appreciate if you refrained from spying on me through my own friends in the future. I'm glad you and Gileth had such a enlightening analysis of my personalitty, but I am done being your lab rat. Since you two seem to get along so well, tell her that her company is no longer welcome. Now exuse me, I am going to my bed and what haunts me is no longer anyone's business." Tauriel's voice was cold steel as she said those words staring angrily at her friend's eyes who widened by the end of her speech. Before he had time to stop her, she was already at the door.

He was capable to easily detain her, but something inside told him to leave her be for the night. This conversation was far from over, but she made her decision and he had to respect it.

Tauriel swiftly arrived to her own room throwing the horn on the floor in fury. The door was locked just in case that spoiled princling didn't get the hint. She clenched her hands into fists and hit the floor forcefully until her wrists and her hands bled. It released the tears of buried frustration. She summoned everything dark that occurred during the years only in order not to think about Legolas.

A part of her meant every word, but the other part was in agony for speaking to him in such a manner. Very little sleep came that night, but she did not care.

 _Translations:_

 _Nae saian luume – It has been too long._

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Pinmaethril – Little (female) warrior_

 _Tinu nin – My little star_

 _Hir nin – My lord_

 _Hiril nin – My lady_

 _Ernil nin – My prince_

 _Aran nin – My king_

 _Hest – Captain_

 _Goheno nin – Forgive me_

 _U-moe edaved – There is nothing to forgive_


	25. Chapter 25

**_Dear readers,_**

 ** _Thank you for your continued feedback._**

 ** _I am sorry for the delayed update since I was planning to post a chapter as a New Year's Eve present, but I had to make some "last minute" changes. I hope they were worth the wait._**

 ** _Happy New Year and I extend you many good wishes for this year._**

 ** _For those of you who celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar (or in other words 25th of december), I wish you all a Merry Christmas!_**

 ** _For those of you who celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar (january 7th - me included), I also wish you a Merry Christmas!_**

 ** _If among my readers is a fellow Serbian, I wish him/her a Happy Serbian New Year which is on january 13th!_**

 ** _I hope you had a good time for holidays and are not too drunk still to review my latest chapter._**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _ME_**

 **CHAPTER 25**

When her eyes opened, it was barely even dawn and she sat on the floor leaning on a wall. Her wrists were in flames, but she refused to go to the healers and be fussed over again. Instead she took a refreshing bath and single-handedly cured her injuries though they would need time to heal. She took out her healing kit from a drawer and forcefully tied bandages across both of her hands and wrists.

She debated on whether to put the horn back around her neck, but decided against it out of spite. Traces of blood disappeared from the floor while she scrubbed them away herself. It was foolish of her to react in such a way. Nothing met her on the way to the stables and she made her best effort to avoid it. Her mare gave her little comfort, but she decided to ride out and see her friends from the nearby village. That would keep her occupied for the entire day.

The prince on the other hand did not sleep at all. He deliberated about going to see her, but resisted the urge to invade her space for the moment. His little friend seemed too furious to listen anyway. He tried to regret speaking to Gileth about her, but did not admit to himself that what he did was wrong so they were in an interphasse of the sort.

As much as it pained him, he did not truly expect to see her for breakfast. He had a hunting party to lead anyway so this wasn't the best time to get distracted. It was a small, but well coordinated group of hunters. They marched south then turned east when they reached the second gate. Forest grew thicker as they approached their destination. The leaves were poisonous green; this forest was polluted with darkness for a long time. His focus came back as they enclosed on the spider nest. Arrows flew in the span of few seconds. What was left of the pack was soon surrounded and dispatched with blades. Two guards went and destroyed their eggs with equal speed leaving them all dazed with the sudden taste of victory; one that seemed too easy.

They had missed their afternoon meals, but were too thrilled to care. The company stared at the dead creatures in surprise like they were expecting them to get back up and restart the fight. No one was used to such easy hunts and they had energy to spare. Their thrill turned into dread when they heard a lot of heavy footsteps in the distance. No elf moved making such noise.

The prince quickly issued an order to the captain to separate into two groups and pursue them from the branches. At least they had an element of surprise. Orcs resided in a small clearing lighting a fire to roast a few dead sheep on it. They must have stolen them from an innocent farmer and the best hope they had was that he or she survived such theft.

Laeorn quickly followed the prince's signs placing guards all around the clearing, but making sure to stay out of sight. Before those foolish creatures knew what was in store for them, twenty arrows flew from different directions stunning the half of their division in one blow. Elves swiftly descended from the branches and started picking them off manually; though some preferred a bow as their weapons of choice.

In barely a few minutes, the only thing remaining from the pack on the clearing were their remains. Half of the guards started gathering and burning them. "Ernil nin, I saw two of them flee toward the river bank. If we hurry they won't get far." the captain addressed him as he arrived from his side of the clearing. Legolas was fast to follow his counsel ordering those who weren't busy gathering corpses to come along.

Tauriel made her way back watching the smoke rise from the distance. They must have burned a nest only a little ago. When another set of flames started rising from a much shorter distance; she stood watching cautiously. Her ears picked on a strange sound disturbing the silence of the forest. No elf's feet made such a sound. She walked towing her mare along and could have easily outrun them back to safety, but before she reacted on that instinct; a small voice appeared in her head. _Why? Why should I run? What am I afraid of?_

Her resolve to run was quickly overpowered by a desire to fight back. As they approached, she could almost picture an orc or two of them. She raised the saddle and took out a long package which was hidden underneath. She swiftly released her father's blade from its cover. It was heavy, but she was used to its weight already.

Before those slow folks reached her, she was already prepared to kill something. It was a foolish move and if they haven't arrived separately, they would have out powered her with ease. However, when the first arrived, the second was a short distance behind. The orc snarled at her not being cautious enough because of her deceiving size. Tauriel waited for him to approach in an arm's length before teaching him a lecture of not underestimating her. Half of his arm holding his weapon fell on the ground with a shriek of agony. Little elleth knew speed was her best ally for she did not posses skills or strength to defend herself with her bare hands. She jumped to his right knowing that he could not grab her fast enough from that side. Her blade pierced through his armor before he turned around to grab her with his healthy arm. He was dead.

Tauriel barely had two seconds to celebrate her successful yet dangerous maneuver before the second orc charged from the forest in a great speed like he was being pursued by someone. This did not make her change her mind. The second orc almost committed the same mistake as his dead comrade on the floor. When he spotted the orc blood on her blade and the orc who was pierced by it, his pace slowed and he instinctively grabbed his own sword, but he was too late and too close. It was a risky thought to do this, but little elleth repositioned her sword and threw it toward the opening in the orc's armor. It was successful; he staggered to the ground while Tauriel ran as fast as her feet could carry her to take her blade out of his neck and pierce him through the chest. Her second blow turned out to be unnecessary, but she preferred not to take any chances.

Her father's sword was filled with its foul blood. She quickly cleaned the blade using the moss on the ground. It would have to suffice until she reached the palace. Only when she stabbed the blade into the ground for support while regaining her breath did she realize what she had done. Two bodies seemed to affirm that realization. Adrenaline subdued slowly and she was filled with mixture of pride and dread; the first overpowering the second.

Light footsteps indicated her of another presence, but these did not alarm her. They were familiar sound of her kin. _This must be the hunting party I intercepted. I'm afraid there is not much left for them to do here._ She thought watching her unsuspecting victims.

First one to come into view was the captain. _I am definitely in trouble now._ She thought keeping her calm posture while he widened his eyes. "Tauriel." he called breathless watching her with wide eyes.

The prince heard his exclamation and rushed fearing for the worst, but not expecting what he found. _Yes this won't end well._ Tauriel contemplated while deliberately walking to retrieve the cover from her sword from where she threw it on the grass. Legolas retrieved his voice when he watched a familiar sword being placed in its cover. "What happened? Did you?" he asked bewildered watching dead orcs with astonishment while many different emotions passed through his mind. The others arrived a minute later wearing identical expressions of disbelief on their faces.

"Kill them? Yes I did. I'm sorry if I stole your prey, but they were in my way." Tauriel replied with defiant fury sparkling from her eyes. She did not forget about being angry with him.

Legolas could not move for a long while. Tauriel didn't wish for his proximity anyway. "Do you wish me to burn them for you as well? I happen to be out of fire at the moment." she spoke when none of them said anything.

"You could have been killed. Do you understand that?" the prince finally spoke retrieving his voice for long enough to scold her, but little elleth was in no mood to be treated like an elfling.

"Yeah, so what else is new?" she replied tying her precious weapon back onto her restless mare. That gave her an excuse not to look at him or anyone else.

The prince ordered the troop back into the palace and spoke nothing until they were out of earshot. He took in a sharp breath before coming closer. "Have you been harmed?" he finally asked with concern wishing to determine that before losing his temper. He tried to touch her shoulder lightly, but she took a step back and shook it off.

"Do not touch me." her anger awoke along with her reflexes. He dropped his hand hiding the hurt for such a treatment.

"You are still angry with me I see." he commented with a sigh looking away from her.

Tauriel laughed with irony. "Do you know what you have in common with those two?" she asked as he refocused his attention to her. His eyes looked at her with caution. "They too underestimated me like you and now they are both dead. You're right they could have overpowered me easily if only they did not judge me by my size. Did you think I was throwing a fit last night and that all would be well when I slept it through? You betrayed my trust! I wonder if every soul living in the palace now knows my deepest fears. No, you know what I don't even wish to know. I release you from your duty toward me. You may do with your time whatever it is you did with it before I came." little elleth spoke defiantly, but her voice or her expression did not waver.

She climbed onto her mare's back swiftly leaving the prince to his thoughts. Something in her eyes and her posture made him stop in his intent to argue with her. Perhaps he simply saw that it was pointless to apologize or argue with her right now when she was so hostile.

Evening passed in almost complete silence. Tauriel cut her vegetables and did not strike with hunger today. Legolas and his father noticed her bandaged wrists, but none of them voiced any questions out loud. The king noticed the sudden hostility emanating from the little elleth and his son in return looked guilty, but also furious. He did not comment on the report his captain brought him about two dead orcs.

Tauriel excused herself addressing only the king while not sparing a glance to his son's direction. She knew that her fury was not entirely rational, but she felt betrayed so the rage would outlive at least one more night. The nightmares kept coming, but she found herself fighting back against the dark creatures from time to time although she rarely won that fight.

The prince knew it was foolish to speak to Gileth of all people about Tauriel, but she seemed to know things no one else knew and understand better than anyone. He found her in the healing wing not having a particular wish to go look for her in her parents' home.

Gileth noticed him immediately or more accurately, the expression on his face. "Good morning ernil nin. May I be of service?"The elleth asked leaving a few bandages she was carrying on top of the night table.

Legolas hardly knew how to answer that question. "If you planned on visiting Tauriel today; I wished to advise you against it." He formulated his warning like this, but Gileth looked at him curiously.

"It's not a counsel I would have expected. What troubles you?"She looked slightly confused, but hid it well.

The prince merely sighed in response. "She is on a war path against you and me. Let us not antagonize her until she is calm."

Gileth looked at him incredulously. "Is there a particular reason?"She asked incredibly annoyed about his reluctance to speak about something which clearly involved both of them,

"She believes that I betrayed her trust. When she became aware of the fact that we've been speaking about her; her fury was obvious." he explained wishing for someone to tell him that his actions were righteous.

The elleth sighed in understanding. "It is partly justified though she is this angry only because of the fact that you're involved. We should not have spoken about her at all; I simply let my feminine superiority get the best out of me. In fact; this private conversation is not the best idea if you seek her forgiveness." Gileth contemplated watching numerous emotions cross the prince's face.

Apparently, these were not the words he was looking for. Gileth would be gone with her parents to visit her brother again in a week and it was probably a bad idea to speak with the little elleth before then. This conclusion was not terribly optimistic, but it was the best they could come up with. They agreed on not speaking in private until Tauriel surrendered her white flag.

There was a little matter of Tauriel's lessons. It was hard to teach her when she barely spoke to him. She missed none of them, but asked no questions as she did usually. Taking notes suddenly became a time consuming job. The prince knew she paid attention, but she treated him no differently than a student treating her teacher. It was better than silence, but it was hard to resign to act like they were no more than that. No, the prince would not surrender now; this was just a stumble on the way and no more.

His principal preoccupation for the moment was her bandaged hands. They would cross into the back of his mind when they were out of his sight, but his worry never stopped. He would break this hostility soon before it got out of hand and became beyond repair. Tomorrow would be a new day and his mind would be able to work something out. He watched Tauriel walk out of the library with the same unyielding expression she wore during their entire class.

Leaving the unresolved issues for tomorrow resulted to be a very ill managed move. Morning might have brought new light, but it also brought something else. The prince was barely out of his bed when someone knocked forcefully on his door.

Once they were granted entrance; a worried looking captain walked inside. "I presume due to the hour and your troubled face that this is not purely a social call."Legolas rolled his eyes indirectly giving him permission to speak.

"Forgive the hour ernil nin, but I have urgent news, The orc pack we encountered yesterday was only a small part of the division that resides in our forests. We have looked for the farmer as you requested and by the grace of Valar, he is still alive. He informed us that a large division entered the boarders of our realm in secrecy. They are trying to arrive somewhere, but we're still in the dark about the location."Laeorn spoke in a little rush though he didn't seem terribly anxious about this report.

"Have you reported this to my father?"Legolas asked placing a finger on his chin as a sign of profound worry. News were never encouraging, but one could never get used to hearing troubling reports.

Captain nodded before he spoke. "I did. The king ordered me to assemble six divisions and prepare another two as a backup. You are to ride with him as soon as you're prepared. I am to remain here until he calls for backup if necessary. New recruits are coming in today or early tomorrow; I have to see them settled."He passed on the king's orders. When he was about to exit his room; the prince's voice detained him.

"Mellon." He spoke in a gentle voice which did not agree with the situation in hand.

Before he could voice his request; Laeorn already read his mind. "I will keep both eyes on her. If there is no remedy, I will give her archery lessons with the new recruits, but I'll keep her out of the woods until you return." he assured him while the prince simply thanked him silently. There was hardly anything to say about the matter.

There were three hundred elves stationed outside; king Thranduil was already on his elk. This weren't only the guards; the king ordered for the march of his armies as well; at least what they could encounter in such short notice. Father and son greeted each other without words and they marched ahead of the troop. Two generals and two commanders rode behind them. Generals were supreme authority for the solider divisions and commanders; in the absence of their captain; were in charge of the guard divisions. Assembled here in the courtyard was a small army of elves. Legolas made inquiries with his father about their approximate numbers, but those data were mere suppositions. After the king ordered their move; there was scarcely any time to speak with him.

There was nothing like impending danger to snap little Tauriel out of her raging phase. It hurt little elleth to speak or act the way she did the last couple of days, but something inside of her made her more rebellious than usual. Now that she pictured all sorts of perils her friend could face before she sees him again, the seriousness of her claims hit her harder than ever.

The squad pursued the orcs across the forest leaving none alive. Their divisions were scattered when they took out the largest group. It took more time to chase and find them than to actually fight them. Laeorn kept informing his little friend of the events as much as he dared to; sparing her of any unfortunate details which did not detain her from obtaining information elsewhere.

A week had passed and the king summoned the captain into battle which deprived Tauriel of a valuable source of information. Commander in charge; although kind in manners; did not have the time or the will to deal with an elfling. He did not particularly represent the attitude of informing someone so little of the king's movements so he simply kept an eye out for her with discretion.

It was hard to keep the little one inside, but the woods were dangerous at the present times so he persuaded her to stay inside and Beleorn gave him a hand; dedicating every free moment to her archery lessons even though fruitless. Tauriel was too distracted by concern to focus on her fighting skills. Another week had gone by before the divisions begun returning to the palace. Tauriel occasionally punished herself for being a spoiled brat by inflicting new injuries to her palms which barely had time to heal before she opened the wounds again.

She was deadly afraid for her friend's safety. His long absence was the living proof that something was terribly wrong. When she heard that a division came back from the hunt; she rushed down the stairs only to be freshly disappointed upon spotting not the prince; but the captain. Even though her expectations failed, she was still glad to see her friend who looked tired, but in good spirits.

At least now she had the certainty that the prince was alright and would be arriving soon. This eased some of her fueling anxiety. Laeorn walked off to find his commander leaving Tauriel by herself once again. As she made way back to her room; she heard risen voices arguing not far from where she was standing. Her curiosity got the better of her and she came closer to hear what the argument was about. The female voice was the dominant speaker. It didn't take Tauriel long to recognize it. Gale, Gileth's mother lead a heated argument with Laeorn.

It was mostly about Gileth joining the king's guard. Gale was scandalized that the captain openly claimed that he would be of assistance to her daughter if joining his ranks was her true ambition. Gale poured in all class of insults on his account, but Tauriel shook when her own name seemed to come on the order.

" _That little snake poisoned my daughter's mind. If she wants to fight, I have no objections. Perhaps she will get herself killed and do us all a favor, but my daughter was not raised to be anyone's servant. Her parents did no favor to that little Sylvan scum! Why doesn't she simply join the two of them? The prince is better off without her anyway."_ were some of the words she used in reference to Tauriel's origin.

Tauriel distinctly heard Laeorn's not too polite reply to that offence, but her head was buzzing while she sneaked away not watching where she was going until she arrived in the entrance hall. Why lady Gale's words suddenly affected her so; she had no idea. Her whole body went numb while she tried to regain her senses. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually she trudged to her right toward the stables.

It was an instinct more than anything else. Her feet carried her to her mare without any conscious command from her brain. Little elleth moved fast and was out of the stables by the time Laeorn interrupted his conversation with the source of her distress and left her presence before she had time to reply. Ten minutes later he already searched every usual place Tauriel hung out at, but she was nowhere to be found.

The rest of the squad would be arriving soon. The prince would not appreciate his care. He ordered the commander to ask every guard stationed around the palace and anyone else who might have seen her. He was preparing to take off himself when the arrival of the king and the prince interrupted him in his intentions. He took a deep breath knowing that he would have to break the news as soon as possible.

He had to summon back his commander to report because he barely had time to speak to him upon his return. His report on everything apart on the missing elfling was enough to satisfy the king and he walked back to his chambers.

"I spoke to the stable boy hest. She rode out not long ago." commander reported as the king was out of sight. The prince was only a few steps away and it was impossible for him not to overhear their exchange. The captain sighed in worry.

"She has been behaving strange as of late." he muttered for himself only to remember Legolas standing a few feet away.

He could not delay this any longer. Before the prince could ask; he already had a ready answer. "I lost Tauriel. I saw her when I came back not half an hour ago. I left her right here and now I can't find her anywhere. Apparently, she rode out." he said in one breath.

An invisible force seemed to drive little elfling's will as her mare galloped through the gloomy and deterent confines of the mirkwood forest. Nothing, but dead silence and the scrape of hooves could be heard as the horse galloped with air current blowing directly towards its eyes. It was like the auburn animal knew precisely where its rider desired to go and obliged her wishes in a blur of successive tree trunks and menacing branches which seemed to defy Tauriel's immediate mood as they filled her eyes with bright colors of the current season.

No tear has been shed and no object has been broken, but the words themselves engraved into her mind forever and gave her the determination she lacked for a long time. With scarce occasions to take a glimpse at the sun through the occasional opening between the tree branches; she barely had an idea of what time it is. She finally arrived to her destination a few hours before dusk not bothering to consider how near would the night be upon her. The journey took barely half a day though she vividly remembered that she ran along these same paths for at least as twice as long when she last set eyes on this sight.

To her surprise, some of the walls and roof parts still held their shaky ground. Two wild and freezing winters did not succeed in the attempt of breaking what was left of the village she was born in. All was chaos and destruction, but it was still possible for her to distinguish the old shapes of her beloved home. She could almost believe that her friends were running between houses taled by a farmer whose apples they stole a few seconds before, the hours she spent in the forge with the blacksmith who was a good friend of her father's with endless patience when it came to answering Tauriel's endless questions. His wife was so simple yet elegant in her simplicity often inviting her to their house. She walked along the familiar paths not truly realizing that her feet were inconciously guiding her to the remnant of her old home.

A small secluded corner which offered her shelter from the wind and the open sky looked inviting. As she crossed from one room to another and ocassionly took a glimpse at a familiar object; she tried to picture her parents hoping against hope that proximity to where they had once lived; where they once had been a happy family would bring their faces back into focus, but it was in vain.

Only a few traces of the fact that they lived here once remained; a few insignificant yet dear proofs of the fact that she once had a loving family. Her mother's numerous broken vessels laid scattered along the floor with the unmistakable traces of the time they remained here. A beheaded doll once made for her by her naneth was a terrible sight. Tauriel never enjoyed playing with dolls, but to see it disfiguered in such a way was a heavy blow. She managed to light a fire using two old stones she found laying around upon closer look and decided to give her doll a proper funeral.

The night already fell when she was done with it and she sat in the corner which provided her with a shelter. Her mind was empty from all thoughts not contemplating on the dangers which lurked in the dark, not on the fact that she once more stopped eating, not on the fact that she was exhausted and not even on what would happen in the morning. She hug her arms around her knees and remained wide awake for the remaining of the night. Only destinguishable thoughts on her mind were about her family. She was half expecting them to walk straight inside the house and tell her that the past couple of years were only a misunderstanding. Not even Legolas crossed her mind as she was too absorbed the life as it once was. She returned to that moment in time when her life was peaceful and boring waiting for something to happen which would justify her impossible desires.

First rays of sunlight which broke through the broken windov were the ones which woke her up from her reverie. She got to her feet; ignoring the soreness in her back and the exhaustion of her mind. Her feet moved around again looking for something that wasn't there; that could never be there again. The gaze upon what was left of her central room which consisted of the kitchen, the dinning room and a small lounge brought back the memories of fire. Her drained mind initiated refocusing on her sad realitty; on the fact that past could not come back. It was like finding out that her loved ones were dead again. Why did she even bring herself into this position? _They are gone. They have left ne. They are dead._ she thought over and over again. Those words rang inside her mind reminding her.

The light footsteps aproaching did not bother her; in fact she couldn't hear them from the screams in her head. She sniffed realizing that silent tears made their way down her cheeks. She fell on her knees supporting her weight with one of her arms; the other one was over her mouth. The sound of footsteps came closer and closer, but Tauriel ignored them.

Legolas finally reached the door hearing before seeing the one he was looking for. When he entered inside, she was kneeling on the floor with her back turned. Has she heard him at all? He made his way to her a little wary. He had no desire to argue with her yet again. That desire appeared to be mutual even though little one made no indication of knowing that she was not alone any longer.

Her sniff in the dead silence was audible like a far echo. "Tauriel." he finally spoke realizing that his voice felt out of place when it rang through the remains of the empty house. He did not touch her; yet his voice made her talk back.

"They are dead." she finally choked out after a short while without looking at him or at any other direction. Her chin rose slightly, but apart from that; she made no change in her demenour. Those words made it final, irreversible.

Two gentle hands gave her silent comfort barely making contact with her skin. "I know." Legolas spoke in a form of a whisper while making circles on her right arm.

Tauriel felt anger like she never knew before. It wasn't pointed at anyone in particular; simply at her cruel fate. Her sudden outburst caught the young prince unprepared. "They are not supposed to be dead! It is unfair!" she started shouting in one moment; in the next she was punching the ground with on of her bandaged hands.

The prince's suspicions about the origin of bandages around Tauriel's hands were confirmed. It all happened so fast that Tauriel got a few nasty punches before his insticts started working again and he gripped her wrists with iron strength trying to pacify her making her attemps of freeing herself quite fruitless.

He somehow succeeded in turning her to face him. Someone else might have thought that she was simply throwing a fit, but the prince knew better. Tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks as she; quite vocally; tried to set herself free of his grasp, but he did not budge. It took a few minutes which passed like days for her attempts to die out while her reason came back.

She did not stop crying even when her movements ceased and she stopped fighting. "You're not allowed to attempt anything simmilar ever again. I forbid you to harm yourself." he finally spoke when she stopped resisting him altogether. He despised himself for using his commanding tone on her, but he needed to be certain that she wouldn't continue punching when he released her which he did very reluctantly. He tasted the atmosphere around her, but she showed no sign of thinking about dissobbeying him.

She sat on the ground encountering a wooden wall (or what was left of it anyway) to support her. His iron grip would probably leave a bruise, but she didn't feel the pain. At least she heard his voice. She hugged her knees with a mixture of emotions not daring to look up as she sniffed and sobbed while the inexhaustable stream of tears kept coming like a cascade down her face; now soaking her pants with salty water.

The prince limitted his actions to merely observing for a while trying to decide what to do. On the end; his actions were instinctual. He sat next to her caressing her silky auburn hair without truly encountering the right words. His gentle touch seemed to be having a positive effect on her. When he moved from her hair to her face; she relaxed enough to search for closer proximity. Legolas placed her in his lap and laid her head on his chest without ceremony. Her little fingers gripped his tunic while his ran soothing circles around her exposed cheek. He wasn't entirely certain why, but his voice started singing Elbereth's song. When he finished, his little friend had stopped crying and her breaths were even.

"Don't fall asleep Tinu nin. We have a long way back." he finally spoke kissing her on top of her head. She had an unusual smell of the forest and the blooming flowers and something which was hard to classify as anything, but starlight.

"I don't want to go." Tauriel mumbled barely audible into his tunic.

"Am man u-gerithon tinu nin?" the prince asked with a sigh.

"This is where I was born; I belong here." she spoke with a little more strength.

Legolas sighed audible. "You cannot stay here tinu nin. For better or for worse; your life is with me now. I will not lose you." he replied kissing her on the forehead before standing up. This was a terrible place for speaking. The midday was aproaching quickly. They would be caught by darkness already.

Tauriel walked beside him not showing any pleasure upon returning home. "How did you find me anyway?" she asked trying to redirect her thoughts somewhere else.

His blue eyes pierced her reproachingly. She almost shrank from fright. "You didn't make that easy I might add. It took me a few hours to work it out, but when Laeorn mentioned his brief exchange with hiril Gale, I had a hunch that you might have overheard it. You do have a habit to sneak around. It wasn't terribly difficult to come to this conclusion once I established that." he replied unamused.

Little elleth was a force of nature as the prince realized soon after they had safely rode into the stables. By the time it took him to give brief instruction to the stable boy about tending to their exhausted animals; her little form dissappeared. It was easy enough to catch up on her if the certain captain of the guard waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.

"She went upstairs. I assume she didn't see me; not an unlikely assumption considering the fact that she was staring at the floor." he informed him before the prince even opened his mouth to speak.

His responsive sigh was the only response the captain was able to receive before he watched him climb upstairs; persumably in pursuit of their little friend. This assumption was not far off since the prince only took a short detour to his room to drop his weapons (it was highly unlikely he would need them inside the palace) before walking deliberately to her room which was dark upon his arrival, but not empty.

 _Translations:_

 _Ernil nin – My prince_

 _Hest – Captain_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Hiril – Lady_

 _Am man u-gerithon tinu nin? - Why not my little star?_


	26. Chapter 26

**_Dear readers,_**

 ** _Yes I am still in_ _business though it might not have seemed so for the past period._**

 ** _I apologize for the long delay. The truth is I had this chapter ready for sometime, but waited for more of them to be finished before publishing it._**

 ** _Some of you will be happy to hear that I am currently finishing chapter 29 (which will be the last chapter about Tauriel's childhood), but do not fret I have many more planned and in store (although they will need serious modifications because of the fact I added many chapters to Tauriel's childhood since writing them)._**

 ** _I think most of your questions will be answered throughout the plot, but if they're not feel free to post feedback with your opinions and questions._**

 **Once again, thank you for your continued support.**

 **Love,**

 **ME**

 **CHAPTER 26**

He hoped that his little friend didn't consider darkness to conceal the fact of her whereabouts from him. His hearing was sharp even if he couldn't see distinctly through the dark which was one of elvish traits. Nothing seemed to be out of place upon first sight. Horn of Mirkwood laid upon the vanity table and archery kit was on the bed.

Little elleth sat in the corner leaning her back against the wall; much in the same position like this morning. Her chin now rested on top of her knees rather than hidden behind them which meant that she wasn't crying. Her eyes stared at random direction.

"It seems I have lost you again little mellon." the prince commented when he closed the door and the only remaining source of light were the moon and the stars coming from the window.

"I want to be alone." she replied with a distant yet normal voice. The prince stood exactly where he was motionless. She rose her head and faced him for the first time today or actually in many days. "Look, I am sorry for what I did, I promise it won't happen again. Gin iallon ego nin." she spoke in one breath before facing away again.

The prince made a few deliberate steps toward her. "I would if I thought I was doing you a favor by walking away." he replied softly as he knelt on one knee next to her gracefully. "Tauriel what is this?" he finally asked stroking her hair like before.

When she remained silent; he tried a different approach. "You're still angry at me, I see." he made a comment making her head jerk around in surprise, but he gave her no time to deny it. "I could apologize if you wanted me to, but it wouldn't be wholeheartedly. While I despise going around your back; it gave me greater insight than ever before on the things I was not aware of, but ought to have been . You hide some things from me still little mellon. Why?" he continued ignoring her weak attempt to dissuade him.

She opened and closed her mouth in an attempt to give him the truest response possible. "Have you ever considered that the reason is because there were some things I didn't want you to know?" she tried while formulating the words in her head.

"I try to respect your privacy, but there are some things I must know like the fact that your dreams go from bad to worse when I am not around." he crossed his legs and sat to face her. Judging from her expression, he hit the soft spot.

Tauriel didn't know how to deny that. "There is no point in making you worry over it even more than you already do. While you are kinder than someone like me had any right to expect, you can't glue me to yourself all the time. You shouldn't feel guilty about something you cannot change." she fought trying to make sense to her thoughts.

"I see. So this silence is not for your benefit, but for mine? Fortunately, you don't remember the last time you tried to hide it from me, but I do. When it happens again for our lack of honesty towards one another, do you think it will make me feel less guilty for not knowing what was happening beforehand?" he stated rather than asked her. "I won't speak to Gileth about it again if you promise you won't hide something like this again. Your anger I can bear." he added catching her gaze again.

"I promise I will try and I'm not angry at you; not anymore anyway." she replied curtly not wishing to make a promise she won't be able to keep.

Legolas knew this was the best promise he could get. "You were pretty set on your course before I left. What made you change your mind so abruptly?" he smiled remembering her not so kind words.

Little elleth tried hard to view the matter from a lighter point of view, but found it very difficult. "Goheno nin. Anger went down as soon as I went back to my room, but my temper rose again every time you spoke. I'm not even sure who was I angry at in the first place." she replied apologetically not knowing where to look while unconsciously playing with her hands ignoring until now the rusty red splotches which were newly acquired adornments from last morning.

They would have probably stood unacknowledged until morning, but the prince's attention was drawn to what he almost completely forgot about. "Let me have a look at that." he stated flatly not giving Tauriel time to either refuse or accept his request. He picked her up from the floor easily and placed her on top of her bed hastily.

He wasn't sure of what he was expecting to find, but when he untied the bandage from her left hand his eyes grew wide. Some injuries appeared to be days and weeks old only leaving small marks which would have healed in time if it weren't for much fresher traces of blood. He knew exactly when the most recent of them were acquired. "Man I theled cared?" he asked pulling out of her drawer a first aid kit to clean her newest injury. It stung, but Tauriel tried to ignore it.

"If you had desire to punch me, why did you hurt yourself?" he asked gently tracing the contours of her scars.

"I never desired to punch you." she mumbled in one breath, but he understood.

That was the only response he would receive apparently. "If you try something like this again; you will be glued to me at all times." he replied without the usual kindness in his tone. It seemed almost menacing.

Tauriel stared at her pillow like she suddenly found something very interesting there. The sun would rise soon. They came back long after midnight so this wasn't unexpected. When he was done dressing her injuries; she felt his arms close around her again lifting her up.

He removed the blanket and placed her to lay on the mattress. For a brief while she thought he was leaving to his room, but he simply placed his weapons on the vanity table. Tauriel stood up and walked quickly in his direction. For a moment there; he thought she was about to embrace him, but she only desired to take the horn which she carelessly left to lay around for days.

His eyes followed her actions curiously. She placed it under her pillow and lay back where he left her. "You know, when I told you to keep that with you at all times; I didn't mean that quite so literally." he chuckled walking back to her and stripping off his boots and jacket with one swift movement.

"It's the only thing that makes me feel closer to you. Apart from the mare (which I can't bring in here) and the knife (which could be potentially fatal under my pillow while I sleep on it)." she replied sleepily when her friend tucked her in and kissed her good night.

"Now that I am here, you don't really need it." he replied caressing her cheek although she was already only half coherent. The exhaustion had started to kick in.

Tauriel sighed and mumbled her last coherent words. "Just in case."

The prince smiled in understanding. "I'm not going anywhere." he reassured her laying his head next to hers and watched her in contempt until his eyes closed on their own.

It was impossible to tell whether any bad dreams came that night for both; Tauriel and Legolas remained deeply knocked out. They did not notice the sun rise and become brighter in the sky. Neither of them stirred until someone knocked on the door. Little elleth awoke disoriented, but the prince remained vastly asleep. She grumpingly stood up from her bed rubbing her eyes and yawning before a second knock made her move faster in order for her friend to be able to sleep. She found it slightly odd that someone would knock on her door at all now that the one of her rare visitors was sleeping in her bed.

She opened the door still mildly incoherent. A guard she has never met before stood in front of her. "Yes what is it?" she asked trying to regain her usual voice.

"I'm looking for the prince." he simply stated not giving her too much attention.

She took a peek at her bed. "Is it urgent? The prince is sleeping." she asked uncertainly not desiring to wake him up now that he was having his well earned rest. She shuddered to think about how many sleepless nights he already had on her account.

The guard looked at her not budging. "The king has requested his immediate presence in the throne room." he simply explained not leaving room for objections.

Tauriel sighed. "I'll go wake him up than." she said and heard him indistinctly mumble _Better you than me._ before closing the door.

His face betrayed such serenity that she would have defied whoever requested waking him up if it wasn't the king in person. She leaned over him caressing his cheek gently before resigning herself. "Mellon echulo." she shook him gently until he stirred and started opening his eyes.

Legolas heard Tauriel's voice through mist. At first he thought that he was dreaming about her, but her voice came into focus as he cleared his mind. "Good morning." he mumbled as she straightened up a little.

"Good morning although I think we're well passed it. I'm sorry to wake you, but your father wants to see you in the throne room." Tauriel replied with a grin as she took a step back to allow him space to sit up. She too had a dreamy look so he assumed that she had a rude awakening as well.

"Alright. In the meanwhile why don't you take a bath. I'll find you as soon as I see what ada wants." he replied yawning once more before putting his boots on and braiding his hair in front of Tauriel's mirror with haste. In other circumstances, she would have helped him, but didn't feel coordinated enough to do so in haste while only mildly awake.

Legolas rushed out of the room without a second glance back while his little friend watched him go with unphantomble expression before preparing a bath. Her friend didn't come for a while so as soon as her hair was dried and braided she ran downstairs to the stables almost knocking out poor Beleorn in the process. He merely tapped her shoulders and chuckled before sending her by her business.

Her auburn mare was eager and ready for little affection. When she had enough; she started sniffing Tauriel playfully. Little elleth just chuckled and concluded that it was time for a short ride. Nothing changed upon her return except for the fact that the night was upon them. Her room seemed as boring as ever so she quickly washed her hands being forced to change her bandages yet again which resulted to come in handy once she took a closer look at her wrists. Little brown splotches shaped like fingers started appearing where the prince held her yesterday.

 _I must have put a good resistance._ she sighed observing her wrists. Bruises would be difficult to conceal. She tied bandages as far up as she dared and dug a long-sleeved tunic from her wardrobe. It was dark green. It hid the large percent of her bruises; yet she was still afraid that her friend or anyone else would notice. It was time for dinner; her first meal in three days. She realized she was starving as she hurried toward the dining room. Three more steps and either her or the elf standing there would end up floored or bruised the very least. Fortunately, she spotted him on time and came to an abrupt halt an arm's length away from him.

At first, she imagined it was the king, but as she opened her mouth to apologize she noticed that this elf was unfamiliar. He truly looked magnificent with golden hair and ancient face. His eyes detained on her face scrutinizing her curiously. "What's this? An elfling?" he thought out loud looking at her like he just saw the light for the first time.

This one was definitely not from around here. His face seemed ageless and magnificent. It was hard to understand where exactly did he come from. Tauriel wasn't even sure on how to address him, but she instinctually straightened up sensing that this was someone important. "It most certainly is. You sound like you never seen one before mellon." replied a familiar voice of the king who came out of the dining hall with Legolas on his tail.

"Not for a very long time Thranduil." the elf replied with certain familiarity.

Legolas now stood behind the little elleth with hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him briefly, but he merely smiled and placed his palm on her cheek in affection.

"Allow me to introduce you than. This is Tauriel." the king said simply failing to say anything else about her. "Tauriel, this is Glorfindel, a very special guest from Imladris. He was one of the first of our kind to ever walk Arda." he added while Tauriel's eyes almost bulged out of her sockets. Glorfindel was one of the first-borns and she tried to grasp that fact quickly in order to say all that she should.

"Mae g'ovannen. Le nathlam hi." she spoke after a brief moment it took her to collect her coherent thoughts.

He seemed surprised by such a formal greeting from a small elfling, but he smiled all the same. "Mae g'ovannen Tauriel. Hannon le." he replied in the same manner watching her shift from foot to foot with a strange expression; something between nervous and curious.

The unpleasant silence was interrupted when king ushered Glorfindel to the table and Legolas lead Tauriel after them. Their distinguished visitor did not speak to her for the rest of the evening, but he eyed her often and sometimes caught her gaze. She often blushed and went back to her plate, but sometimes she held his gaze and he would smile at her.

When her friend lead her back to bed, Tauriel tried to gaze across her shoulder unsuccessfully though from a few glimpses she managed; she could almost picture his grin even though his eyes did not look directly at her.

The king filled his friend briefly on Tauriel's origins. "Truly tragic. Those are scars that will never fully heal." Glorfindel commented with his usual solemn voice.

When Tauriel was done examining her friend about their guest, they both fell asleep quickly even though they had basically spent an entire day in bed. The next morning, Legolas was nowhere to be found so Tauriel slipped into her gear placing arrows on her back in hope of finding someone to teach her today. Horn was safely placed around her neck.

That hope seemed in vain because Beleorn, Laeorn and Legolas were holding the first training session for the recruits who arrived a couple of days ago. Her mare seemed as eager as ever, but before she got to her; her eyes fell upon a white horse; a truly magnificent proud looking white steed. She came closer observing him. He allowed her to pet him without changing his posture. In fact; he seemed to be ignoring her altogether which was a strange behavior for a horse or any other animal for that matter. When he got bored of the attention, he quite literally sneezed in her direction.

"You are very hostile new mellon. I wonder how did you end up here." she commented with a chuckle, but the only response she got was him raising his head even higher.

"He doesn't do well with strangers. It is surprising he even let you touch him, but I suppose elflings don't bother him that much." a solemn; yet warm voice came from behind her. There proudly stood Glorfindel watching his horse with affection. He came closer acknowledging her presence with a simple tap on top of her head.

Tauriel turned around to have a better look at him and he stared back. "Remarkable. I did not see an elfling from up close since hiril Arwen, but I never saw an elfling carrying weapons and that is telling something." he observed out loud.

"How long is that exactly hir nin?" she asked when curiosity prevailed over her discomfort.

Glorfindel chuckled at such a bold inquiry. "Hiril Arwen is about two thousand and three hundred years old." he replied simply like he was giving her no more than a weather report. She whistled loudly at such a discovery. "That truly is a very long time." she commented wondering whether she would live to see herself age so much. "Indeed little one." he grinned silently.

"But you did not answer my question. What is an elfling doing carrying weapons around?" he asked remembering their original topic upon looking at her again.

"It's Tauriel hir nin. They were a gift." Tauriel replied trying to hide her annoyance at his address. People have stopped referring to her as an "elfling" a long time ago.

"From the prince?" he assumed out loud, but she shook her head. "No hir nin, from the guards. They gifted me with these for my 8th birthday." she explained not wishing to enter into the topic of the prince's displeasure with the notion of her in a battle.

Rivendell elf seemed kind and inviting so Tauriel continued questioning him about Imladris, about lord Elrond and his children. Legolas spent brief period there so this new intel gave her information she did not posses before. This interrogation continued until it was time for the afternoon meal, but she didn't stop talking until they arrived to the dining room.

King looked only mildly surprised upon the pair and the prince just rose his perfect blonde eyebrow at her. "I see you've encountered our little warrior mellon. Did she behave?" Thranduil commented with a knowing expression.

"Like a lady I assure you mellon." he replied light-heartedly. The king simply hmphed at that making the little elleth turn slightly pink. "What's your verdict?" he asked not sounding too interested.

Glorfindel chuckled. "Her mind is curious and her personality is kind; yet she is fire from within. Her future is clouded by it. As for her heart I cannot vouch. Her beauty will be of unusual kind; one that will make ellons look at her closely; yet I have the feeling that her heart won't be easy to conquer." he replied making Tauriel realize that he was examining her while she was doing the same. She didn't truly know what to make of these words.

Her heart won't be easily conquered? What was that supposed to mean? She felt cold inside not knowing where to look. Her mouth remained sealed for the rest of the day. Legolas was attending to their guest so Tauriel retired to the library to read in silence of her mind. She attended dinner in equal fashion opening her mouth only to place food in it.

Somehow, she was left alone after the meal to dwell in her bedroom although that didn't help the matter much. It was very late when Legolas arrived to check on her. She was sitting on her bed barefoot and unarmed staring at her blanket. "Tinu nin? Still awake? The hour is late." he spoke softly standing next to her bed.

She slightly straightened up and threw her arms around his neck while he took a seat and enwrapped her little form. "You were awfully quiet all day. " he replied kissing her cheek affectionately.

The only response he was going to get was her slightly tighter hold of his neck. Neither of them knew how or what to say to the other.

Glorfindel prepared to depart the next day towards his destination. His stay at Mirkwood did not last for more than a few days. The king showed no inclination for following his friend in any direction which entitled leaving his beloved forest. His friend left him with more than one thing to ponder in solitude. His change of demeanor was neither sudden nor apparent.

At the closure of his short stay, little Tauriel had very divided feelings towards him. Something about this elf drew her in; yet she supposed that most of her kind had that aura around them. On the other hand; she desired not to see him again, but her mind could not put into words what was it that he said or did that disturbed her so.

Not long after her next birthday which held little difference then the two previous; another thought occurred to her. It had passed her mind before, but there were too many distractions to keep her mind too set upon discovering the mystery behind it.

Every year about this time; her mind would wander to her friend's conception day or his birthday though that expression seemed inadequate when refering to the prince. It was not unusual for someone as ancient as king Thranduil to stop celebrating this event after millennia of succeeding years, but Legolas while fully mature ellon in all aspects; was young for their kind. By the time she turned 10, he was not more than 33 years old yet during these three years of knowing him; there was not once even a whisper about his conception day.

No feast or celebration was ever held except for celebrating the seasonal holidays such as Mereth en gilith which was Tauriel's personal favorite. It was only to be assumed that her friend tied this event to something unfortunate, but she dared not ask him. She pondered using the captain for this information, but their encounters though warm and affectionate did not last for more than a few short minutes; not even when Legolas was away for any number of days. This inquiry was not of a kind which one could drop out of the blue so she patiently waited for her moment.

It took a while to find it, but patience always pays of (or so her prince friend taught her). Her long excursions to the village and a couple a little further away from the first came back as soon as the first rays of the spring sun broke through the clouds. Now that she had a horse; it took less time to arrive to her destination although sometimes she preferred to walk; alongside her mare or without her depending on how fast she wanted to go.

It was the start of the summer and days were incredibly long and still prolonged as the time passed. She was walking on foot by herself not rushing and often stopping to watch the sunset.

Nothing disturbed the silence of the evening so she walked with leisure between the trees. The real maneuver was finding a clearing in this dreadful place. She almost walked right into the captain without seeing him, but instinctually detained when seing a shadow hover over her. At first she thought it was a tree for the lack of sound, but when she focused; she noticed it had hands and a bow in one of them.

"Gallu hest." she greeted him completely at ease.

He rose an eyebrow at her. "Gallu pinmaethril. You are wandering by yourself again I see." he greeted her in equal manner.

"The day is too beautiful to stay inside." she replied unconcerned.

"The forest is dangerous for any solider alone mellon and for you even more so." he insisted though this was an argument she won over and over again,

"If the forest is as dangerous as you say; why are you here all by yourself?" she rose an eyebrow with a mischievous look on her face.

The captain merely shook his head in exasperation. "Taking fresh air little mellon. We are not far from the palace nevertheless and besides. I am the captain. Tolo ar nin." he replied with a hint of humor in his voice.

Tauriel just shrugged her shoulders in response and started walking alongside him. As the time passed she grew taller, but still short for her age yet with a quicker foot. Barely anyone apart from the prince held her hand nowadays. She didn't mind, but the comforting touch of her best friend was as welcoming as ever. He gradually had to replace carrying her with holding her hand because she was growing in size, but still he seized every opportunity to lift her up.

"Mellon may I ask you a question?" she asked as they stepped between the trees.

He did not turn around to look at her. "From your tone I imagine it is not something I would wish to answer." he replied remembering all the uncomfortable inquiries she made over the years.

Tauriel did not seem discouraged; not that he expected her to. "Why does ernil Legolas never celebrate his conception day?" she asked without an introduction.

Laeorn procceeded like he had not heard her, but she held a fast pace to stay beside him. "Is it bad?" she asked not wishing to waste this perfect opportunity now that she got it at last.

He simply sighed and detained his step in a small pass between the trees. He might as well tell her now that no one was able to hear them. "It is not my story to tell. However, no one will mind if I brief you in a little. About twenty-five years ago; a little more perhaps; aran Thranduil went to war summoned by lord Elrond. Lord Glorfindel was in charge of the Rivendell armies. Our king was badly injured and his wife coming to his aid was captured and died shortly after. While this happened a good two months before the prince's conception day who at the time was 7 years of age; the news reached him more then a month and a half afterwards when the king was in shape to travel. Your father was the captain still when this all happened." he spoke choosing his words carefully. The truth of all that happened was much more gruesome, but he hoped that this incomplete explanation would satisfy the young elleth. Tauriel sensed that she wasn't going to get anything else out of the captain at the present time. While feeling slightly dissapointed; she now at least had a small insight on why there was no singular guest or festivity for this date.

The conversation with little elleth distracted the captain who went past the palace and onto the training grounds to greet a group of recruits which arrived during the day. They seemed too at leisure for warriors that Tauriel imagined worthy for the king's guard. This absentmindness of the captain gave her a great insight on the commence of training which she waited for with anxiety. She watched around curiously examining each and every one of them separately. Her eyes suddenly stopped at the familiar face.

She stared at him in disbelief. He grinned when he caught her gaze, but placed a finger on his lips. Now was not the time for greetings. Poor Laeorn almost started his speech before noticing Tauriel's presence next to him. Upon realizing his mistake, he politely sent her out of the training grounds. It was a dissapointment, but still expecting any less was foolish.

Evening meal prevented her from waiting for her friend. It was not likely that she would be seing him before morning anyway. Even then, she had to wait for the end of the training session. She realized with a sigh that her friend would be equally if not busier then her prince so she won't be able to see him much during the day like she used to in his home village.

It took longer then she imagined to catch her friend unoccupied. New recruits in theory had the same liberty as their much older companions, but in fact; they held together during their first period of adjustment to the new and different manner of life. Ergolan seemed to be no different so it took several days for the little elleth to find him alone and without an upcoming training session.

The ellon at question; whose 16th year advanced quickly had grown in height quite remarkably. Passing of the time left traces on his face too, but he was not much changed in character although perhaps more quiet.

It took both of them some adjusting before they could speak the way they were used to, but the short period of tension passed quickly.

"How is your naneth mellon?" she finally asked after an evening of long walk.

"Naneth is well hannon le. When the next ship toward the Grey Havens rises its sails; I will not see her again." he replied lowering his gaze.

Little elleth looked startled. "She is leaving? Na van? Am man?" she asked with apparent disbelief on her face.

Her co speaker simply smiled at her question. "She said that her time here is over. I hope adar nin is waiting for her. I barely met him, but I was told that we are very much alike." he replied with a sigh.

"Perhaps you will see her again someday. When our time here is over and the last ship raises its sails to the Undying lands, they will be waiting for you. Savo amdir." she replied trying to encourage him, but his face was unreadable.

"Perhaps, but I feel that my path lays in different direction then theirs, but fret not little mellon. I am at peace with it." he replied with a resolute expression. Tauriel wanted to believe that he was just pessimistic, but somewhere deep down; she knew he was right.

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon - Friend_

 _Gin iallon, ego nin! - I beg of you, leave me!_

 _Goheno nin - Forgive me_

 _Man I theled cared? - Why did you do it?_

 _Echulo - Wake up_

 _Mae g'ovannen. Le nathlam hi. - Well met. You are welcome here!_

 _Hannon le - Thank you_

 _Hir/Hiril nin - My lord/lady_

 _Gallu Hest/Pinmaethriel - Hi Captain/ Little (female warrior)_

 _Tolo ar nin - Come with me_

 _Ernil - Prince_

 _Adar nin - My father_

 _Naneth - Mother_

 _Na van? - When?_

 _Am man? - Why?_

 _Savo amdir. - Have hope._


	27. Chapter 27

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **First of all I wish you all Happy Easter with a slight delay.**_

 _ **We are almost at the very end of Tauriel's adventures as an elfling.**_

 ** _I don't post more often (despite having a few chapters in stock) because I make very slow progress and not want to make you wait months which would probably happen if I post everything I'd written so far in sequence._**

 ** _This is a kind of chapter which makes me wonder if I rated the story right, but it's too late to make changes now._**

 ** _Thank you for your reviews!_**

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **ME**_

 **CHAPTER 27**

After a long struggle with the united front of her parents and her brother, Gileth's determination did not bend to their wishes. Still to confront all her relatives was a challenge; the first one in her aspirations to join those who she believed were equal to her.

The victory was not guaranteed as long as king of Mirkwood stood on the margin waiting for the development of events which would bend his opinion in one or the other direction. He refused to be a mediator between the elleth and her opposing relatives, but some kind of decision had to be taken soon. His certain regard for the councilor prevented him from acting swift as otherwise he would have done already.

For her part, Gileth was already twenty years of age and there was no other obstacle in her wishes, but those which her loved ones placed before her.

Her renewed regard to the Sylvan elfling, who stood as a role model to her, infuriated her parents even more then her choice of career. Her mother ignored the elleth for the time being like she was invisible, but her father was another story altogether. His once passive stance passed to open hostility as the time passed. Tauriel avoided him with all her resources, but an occasional stumble in the corridors was unavoidable.

Even though, she was barely afraid of anything; her one-sided exchanges with councilor Brien made ice run through her skin. Every time he would leave after a glare and occasional verbal expression of disgust, she felt a little more dread get under her skin.

Naturally, neither the prince nor the king were aware of this situation. Tauriel proceeded to act cordially as the rules said, but this seemed to send her nemesis into a greater state of rage. They crossed each other in the halls rarely, but not rare enough for her. Something about her physical appearance too seemed to disturb him. In the autumn that year; when her 12th year passed rapidly by; her features started to lightly shift.

As lord Glorfindel once put it; her beauty of unusual kind seemed to start showing more and more. Only Tauriel herself was not aware of the changes people saw in her. She was more concerned about her changes of mind then her looks for the time being. Legolas too rarely noticed any change in her apart from her height for the mere reason of constantly being by her side. They were never apart for longer than a month in sequence which did not permit him to really see someone else apart from the elfling he always knew.

As odd as it seems, Tauriel still held the little silver brooch shaped as a leaf under her pillow still pondering on the best way to give it to her friend. Pertinent time just didn't seem to arrive. The odd thing about it was that he did see it last year; short after Ergolan started his training. It was her own carelessness which lead her to catch him playing with it one evening. His hostility toward the ellon was palatable; at least when they were in the same room and when his father was not around to see it.

 _Flashback:_

 _The library seemed as gloomy as ever. Over time, Legolas gave her more and more assignments to attend to especially since Ergolan came to the palace. Tauriel noticed it, but didn't resent him for it. Her heart could not grow any such feeling toward him even if she wished it to so she simply went along with it._

 _He started teaching her archery soon after; quietly taking Gileth's advice now that someone else was here to give her what he denied her. His self-control did not go further. Training her in any other art of combat was something he simply could not do. Fortunately, his rival seemed to be busy enough to be around Tauriel more than the prince could bear._

 _It was easy to catch little Tauriel off guard. On her second archery practice; she arrived very early to throw a few arrows before Legolas would catch up._

 _Which invisible force made her take the little brooch from her pocket precisely at that moment; she knew not. She turned it toward the sun; it glowed like gold blinding her eyes and not only from the excess of light._

 _"Another gift from your admirer I presume?" a voice asked making her jerk her hand back in surprise. He gave her no time to answer however._

 _"If you think you can keep your hands free for long enough; we have a lesson to attend to." he added positioning himself next to her._

 _Little elleth knew not how to reply to that. It was the first time he openly acknowledged his antipathy toward Ergolan in her presence. She felt hurt more for the leaf brooch than for herself, but did not admit it either in expression or in behavior._

 _She simply placed it into her pocket and grabbed her bow deciding to ignore the prince's wrong assumption. She avoided both Legolas and Ergolan for the rest of the day, but showed no inclination to reopen the subject so it fell into oblivion._

 _End flashback._

To her relief, the dreams ceased gradually over the years. They did not dissappear completely, but she dreamt no more then the rest of her kin. It was hard to tell when excatly did they stop for it happened discretely. However, both the prince and the elleth were grateful for it. Their mutual sleepovers did not survive the passing years. Even without their notice; Tauriel was growing into an elleth quickly.

Neither of them ever asked for this privacy, but somehow they made this silent arrangement. Tauriel still admired her protector greatly, but in the back of her mind she started being aware of the changes in her body. Sometimes blood would rush to her cheeks without an apparent reason which made her embarassed. Fortunately, Legolas was in complete oblivion about this occasional event while the elleth used the time to adjust to those constant changes. She would distance herself while doing so if only her friend would allow her to, but he did not because he interpretated it as a sign that she wanted to go back to her old habit of denial.

Tauriel grew up as any other elf to love nature and its creatures above all else. She was often seen wondering around the forest and socializing with its fauna. Her first temporary pet was a white rabbit which she encountered hurt under a bush. His leg hung under a very unnatural angle.

Without thinking it twice, her feet lead her back to the palace. As expected, she brought the unfortunate soul before Ninenath for curing. At first, the motherly healer refused firmly to give it any treatment, but soon changed her mind when she realized how much little elleth cared for the animal. Something in Tauriel's eyes made her suspect that this insistence was more than just about the rabbit itself.

She refused healer's every attempt to part her from the creature and did not seem nearly satisfied until it was safely enveloped in her arms. On her very ill fortune, as soon as she entered the palace, she noticed councilor Brien barely ten feet away walking in the same direction. She tried to compose her feautures and greet him accordingly not missing his eyes narrow upon spotting her new furry friend.

Brien was not known for his discretion. „At last I see you with a company worthy of the ones like yourself. It is a wonder why do you not leave to live with animals since it is a place most fitting for a filthy creature such as you are." He commented apparently pleased with himself for finding a reason to humiliate her. It was obvious he was expecting a response which would proove him right in his belief of the sylvan elfling's value.

Tauriel knew when to keep her temper under control. Usually, she would bow and leave in haste, but instead she stood in defence of the poor animal. „Sometimes I prefer the company of animals. Unlike people, they are not treacherous nor cruel and most importantly, they have manners." She didn't know what gave her the courage to speak in such a way, but she bowed and rushed out of the room not giving time to the fuming elf to detain her.

When she was out of his sight and hearing; she leaned against a column for support trying to collect herself. Her face paled down in anxiety when the awareness of her words kicked in. Her only comfort was her furry friend who she held firmly and stroked gently. Her fear of crossing paths with Gileth's father was never greater then today. _I should not have defied him in such a way. He is going to retaliate._ She mused unhappy about her outburst, but she could not stand and listen to injustice pointed at an innocent rabbit. She realized she got defensive over her new pet which in certain manner made her feel less guilty.

Many minutes passed while she was lost in thought that sudden sound of footsteps startled her. Her heart stopped racing when she recognized the familiar sound of his footsteps, her relief was evident. While she would never confess councilor Brien's constant humilations to a living soul, she was glad for a familiar presence today.

She composed her features quickly into their usual appearance. Two ellons approached exchanging an occassional word with eachother. Laeorn was the first to spot her red tresses. It was how he distinguished her the quickest even from a distance. He knew no one with an indentical hair color. „Mellon. Are we having a rabbit soup for dinner?" he asked smiling.

Tauriel's eyes flashed in fury while taking her pet in a firmer grip. „No." She replied defensively slightly raising her voice in indignation.

The captain was planning to tease her a little, but Legolas saw genuine fear for the creature in her eyes so he silenced him with a stern look. His facial expression softened when he addressed his very upset friend. _"What do we have here mellon? Tolo. Av-'osto. Gwestan, no one will harm your friend."_ he spoke softly lowering down to her height.

Her reluctant approach made him sigh. _"Do you wish to keep him?"_ he asked curtly stroking its fur gently in order to apease his little friend.

" _Only until he is better. When he heals, I will release him."_ she replied slightly defensive, but her eyes looked for approval hopefully. If he ordered him away, she had no choice, but to obbey even with relucatnce.

Her proctectiveness of the defenceless creature however seemed endearing to the prince. " _You may keep him in your bedroom mellon, but make sure he doesn't go stray around the palace. My father would not be pleased."_ he threw her one of his dashing smiles before giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. Her shoulders relaxed and her face glowed. It was surprising how easy Tauriel was to please.

Rest of the evening passed rather slow. To Tauriel's misfortune, the king had invited Gileth to dinner with both of her parents. Legolas was not satisfied either, but he treated them with cold civilitty and no more. Councilor Brien said nothing about today's incident, but that did not give Tauriel peace for some inexplicable reason.

She took his silence as a bad omen. The king reluctantly took the role of a mediator between Gileth and her parents. He was heavily hinting that the elleth in question should have freedom to choose her own profession. In realitty, parents never had a say in the matter, but this was a rather specific circumstance.

Lady Gale and councilor Brien dared not defy the king openly so the only remedy left was to turn the topic from these dangerous tides. Gileth was torn between discomfort for the way her parents acted during the meal and hope that she would begin training in a close future.

Resentment toward her parents mearly grew as they gave vague answers to the king's inquiries and tried to avoid the subject which interested her very much. Tauriel was silent not daring to look at any particular direction. Legolas too spoke only when adressed by his father and Gileth followed Tauriel's example and sat quietly knowing her family's views beforehand.

The meal finished on satisfaction of everyone present. The people Gileth callled mother and father greeted the prince and the king as customs ordered, but spared no glance toward the elleth who by their opinion was the cause of all their misery. Legolas would have made them show proper conduct if he wasn't aware that Tauriel was more comfortable with the present treatment. His wish to place her at ease was more important to him than teaching the two arrogant creatures civil conduct and Tauriel never ceased to be grateful for this.

The rabbit recieved a lot of attention from the elleth during his stay with her. The very next morning, she provided him with an improvised house which was actually a small coffin where she placed grass and soil she brought from the forest. She also provided him with food and water and followed the healer's indications giving him a weak sedative every morning and every evening until Ninenath informed her that it was no longer necessary.

For the last few days, she took extra care when on move around the palace in order to avoid councilor's unpleasant company. After a few days had passed, she started laughing at her irrational behaviour, but still continued her steps on high alert. Her sneaking around seemed successful and she was about to sigh in relief when entering her room.

Something seemed wrong even in the air as she closed the door behind her. At first she thought that Legolas came to visit as per custom, but she just remembered that he was downstairs with his father a few minutes ago. Nevertheless, the presence seemed poisonous making ice flow through her skin.

The night was falling and there half in shadow on her bed sat not Legolas, but Gileth's father. "These are my prvate quaters hir nin. I ask kindly of you to leave." she said with more courage in her voice then she felt inside.

The dark figure stood up, but Tauriel did not move a muscle so far. "No filthy peasant has the right to throw me out of any room in this palace. Nothing here belongs to you." he replied with calmness which frightened Tauriel more than any amount of threat.

"This room was assigned to me by the grace of my king and my prince. Therefore, I will continue disposing of it until I am ordered otherwise. I will ask you humbly one more time to leave." she replied apparently calm, but with a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"The prince, he is young and foolish. I expected the king to put a stop to this madness, but apparently you got under his skin and brought disgrace and misfortune upon us. You are like a desease; unpredictable and dangerous. I know what it is that you desire. Nature was generous to you in that aspect, but I will not let you poision the nobilitty of this land. Let us see if the prince will be as eager to protect you as before after I'm done with you." he spoke deliberately coming closer like a predator pries on its prey.

Every part of the elleth screamed at her to run away, but she was frozen in place. Her mind registered the words which were spoken, but Tauriel did not understand what he was trying to do although her insticts screamed at her that it was nothing good. She was too young to find a meaning to his words.

He was almost in front of her when she unfroze from her sudden shock. Her mind advised her to get out of this room quickly even without realizing why this particular room was more dangerous then any other part of the castle. Two deep breaths and she was ready to try and defend herself. Fortunatly, her vanity table was in her reach. She knew where every object in this chamber was situated. Her hand moved with a speed of light toward her dagger. She knew that her strength wasn't enough to do any serious damage, but this was not the time to consider the aftermath of her choice.

The dagger sliced through the dark making a cut on Brien's left cheekbone. This distracted him for a few precious seconds she needed to open the door which she was leaning upon and run as fast as her feet would carry her.

The wound wasn't deep enough however because her hunter lost his calm posture and ran after her not taking long to catch up on her shorter feet. His initial plan failed, but he was still more dangerous than a wounded had neither time nor breath to scream for help. She was pinned down by the column near the stairs forcefully.

Pain shot through her back although she knew it wasn't serious yet. Both of her arms were in his steel grip while her ankles throbbed like someone was crushing every bone in her hand. Her torture was far from over. She struggled in vain to free herself, but once again cursed her inferior strength.

He slapped her hard across the face catching her by her neck to hit her throbbing head into the column. He left bruise marks all over her arms before he tried to strangle her. His hands enclosed around her neck while she struggled in vain. "It is unfortunate isn't it. After all this time, you will go to join your parents. This is for turning my daughter against me little sylvan filth." he spoke his last words.

As her sight started to go fuzzy and her mind to protest against the lack of air somehow she managed one last kick using her knee. Blood streamed down her face already as everything started to go black, but her last struggle made Brien release his hold of her neck.

However, her feet did not sustain barely remembered the imapct of her fall down the stairs. Her head hit against something hard and cold before all sense left her body not hearing or seeing anything. Perhaps, she would really see her parents now.

Time passed, Tauriel felt completely numb during her short periods of lucidity. Obscurity pressed her mind every time more forcefully. Some would say she was only dreaming. Her body was frozen, not able to make any movement. She wanted to get on her feet, but couldn't even open her eyes. It was agony, but she couldn't even breath let alone call for aid. It was hard to tell how many hours passed in that dreamlike state before she stopped fighting her physical incapabilitty to move. Perhaps it was better for it to end. She just wanted the pain to stop.

Her wish was granted soon. Darkness enveloped her sending her into a trance where she could no longer feel or see or hear anything. How long would it be before someone realized she was gone? Would anyone grieve for it?

The corridor was desserted. These stairs were rarely in use by the guards and no one else passed by this late in the evening. Legolas and his father ate their dinner not surprised by the elleth's lack of company. She was often gone for one or two meals a day. The prince noticed her absence, but worry was far from his mind. His little friend was restless and he would find her later with her own entertainment that did not include eating.

The first sign of anything unusual going on in the palace was the hustle up and down the stairs. It was the sound of many elven feet going up and down the staircase. Legolas looked at his father waiting to see what he made of the entire business. His unreadable face mearly signaled him to stay in his seat. Eventually, the comotion moved away from the dinning room.

Legolas waited concetrating on any tone which would announce someone coming to inform them if there was trouble. His father observed his own hands appearing calm and calculative as usual. He didn't need to wait long in order to satisfy his curiousity. The corridors were completely quiet not boding to anything good. Hearing someone approach in a fast pace was easy even from a distance.

The prince stood up when he saw the captain's pale face appear at the door frame. "Laeorn what is it?" he couldn't stop himself from asking. Never before had he seen his friend so far from calm.

"It's Tauriel ernil nin. She is in the healing wing. I don't know what happened." he replied speaking incomprehnsibly, but not another word was necessary because Legolas was already out the door before he had time to finish his statement.

His head filled with confusion as soon as his feet lead him to his friend. No one seemed to expect otherwise from him when he stormed into the healing wing. Gileth caught his gaze from the other side of the white corridor. Nothing in her posture seemed encouraging while he walked in fast pace to her side. Ergolan stood by her side anxiously though it was hard to say who was he worried for at this point.

As soon as he made an urgent inquiry; he saw her discomposed face. He couldn't recognize the exact emotion on her face. Was it fright or shock or both? Her whole body shook violently. "Ernil nin I... Tauriel." she was barely able to speak those four words before covering her face. Both her hands were stained with blood and the prince was aware of the fact that she wasn't in the state to give him any kind of report.

His bewildered face turned to Ergolan momentarily forgetting his animosity toward him. The ellon was more collected though he too needed a few seconds to take a deep breath before being able to speak. "No one knows what happened. We found her on the eastern stairs at the landing unconcious. She was covered in blood." he spoke taking a hold of Gileth who swayed on her feet before his brief report came to an end.

"Take her out to take some air and come to her senses." a calm voice ordered looking at Ergolan when he finished his sentence. Legolas didn't even notice his father's arrival. He was too speechless to move or say anything apart from staring at the wall.

Fortunately, his father knew better then to try to persuade him to leave. A couple of hours later Ninenath arrived composed and the king, Legolas, Laeorn, Gileth and Ergolan were granted entrance. "What is her status?" the king spoke seeing their frightened expressions. Apparently, they needed time still to recover from the shock so he took it upon himself to ask the pertinent questions.

"You will be relieved to hear that Tauriel did not sustain any serious injuries." the healer said watching as her words reflected differently on each of their faces.

"There was so much blood. Are you certain?" Gileth managed to squeak out.

Ninenath looked at her with compassion. "Most of her injuries are superficial." she spoke in a soft voice before turning to the prince's disbelieveing face.

She allowed Legolas to take a closer look. There were two cuts on Tauriel's lower lip, a nasty cut on her forehead and a few smaller injuries on her cheeks. "I do not understand. If it isn't serious then why is she unconcious?" he asked caressing her facial injuries.

"Not all of her injuries are visible hir nin. She has a concussion and both her wrists and one of her ankles are sprained, but this was not what I wanted to show you." she replied coming closer and lifting both of her sleeves.

Bruises covered the grand part of her arms. They looked simmilar on both of her sides. King observed from across his son's shoulder. "These bruises are fresh and intentionally inflicted. There are more of them on her neck. Her sprained wrists also contain traces of contusion." she spoke unnecessarily pointing at the indigo splotches. Her wrists were bandaged so no one was able to see their appearance.

Those words seemed to enter the prince's mind slower then usual. For the present, he was focusing more on the fact that they were there then on the matter of how they were inflicted. The king's composture did not waver however.

"Only one of our kin could have left those marks. Hest have you seen or heard anything unusual lurking from the woods today?" he asked seeing that at least his captain seemed calm enough.

"No aran nin. Everything is quiet today. No stranger can enter the palace without your explicit permission." the captain shook his head as to emphasize his conviction.

Legolas finally broke from his trance. "Do you mean to tell me that someone known to us did this?" he asked turning to look at his friend.

"I cannot affirm it ernil nin, but I am almost certain that no one else could have done it. I too shudder to think that one of our own kind was capable of such monstruosity."

No one seemed to have a likely explanation. The king was deeply troubled by this event even if he did not show it. He too was certain that one of their own was behind this, but finding a culprit would be difficult. "Investigate this matter with as much discretion as could reasonably be expected. Everything you find you will report directly to me. You will not discuss this event with anyone outside of this room. Ninenath, your collegues will keep this information to themselves. This will not become a public knowledge until the one responsible is caught. Place two of your most trusted people outside. If I am right, the only one who can give us the name of her attacker is Tauriel." he spoke mostly looking in Laeorn's direction and on ocassion throwing a glance at the rest of the present party.

Laeorn made his way to the door before his king's voice detained him. "One more thing. Bring your recruit with you." he added with a less stern voice though it still sounded as a command. The captain turned remembering Ergolan still stood by Gileth's side gesturing him to obbey. He followed him more because he was acustomed to instantly do as was asked of him then because he wanted to leave.

"When will she wake up?" Legolas demanded as soon as the door was closed.

"It is hard to say ernil nin. It depends on how severely she hit her head, but from the amount of blood I would say it was a heavy blow. It could be hours or days or even weeks." she replied unhappy by her lack of infornation though the only thing left to do was wait.

Thranduil observed his son's pale yet more composed face. "Hiril Gileth. It is best that you return to your parents. There is nothing else that can be done here." he spoke not giving any loophole for her to do anything different. She exsused herself rather quietly still suffering from the lack of speech.

Ninenath followed her example sensing what was the king's intention. "Ionneg. Does it serve any purpose if I ask you to go to sleep too? You heard the healers; she may sleep for a while." he spoke placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"None at all ada. I will stay with her tonight." his son replied barely speaking above a whisper though with a steel resolve, His father sighed and made for the door as well.

"Ada." Legolas detained him when his hand was already at the doorknob.

The king stood without turning though it wasn't trully necessary. "I want the head of whoever stands behind this act." he used a tone which his father never heard come out of his mouth. It was the sound of a ruler issuing his first order. He had used his authority before, but Legolas looked nevermore like him then today.

Thranduil almost told him how proud he was. "As you wish ionneg." he said instead before walking out.

 _Translations:_

 _Mellon – Friend_

 _Tolo. Av-'Osto. Gwestan. – Come. Don't be afraid. I promise..._

 _Hir nin – My lord_

 _Ernil nin – My prince_

 _Aran nin – My king_

 _Hiril – Lady_

 _Ionneg – Son_

 _Ada – Father_

 _Hest - Captain_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **The truth is I do not have a valid reason for neglecting you for so long, but I hope you will forgive me anyway.**_

 _ **I'm very glad that you stayed with me for this long.**_

 _ **I hope this chapter will partially make up for such a long absence.**_

 _ **Guest - I don't know if you're all the same, but I will put a thought or two. First of all it is true that certain parts of my story were inspired by other authors. I took the parts which I liked the most and put them in my story. If something someone else wrote is good, why not use it? Second, I know it seems my plots resolve themselves in the next chapters, but let me notice that perhaps you are missing a very important point. My two main characters fought and made up very often, but while their constant fighting is a problem indeed perhaps it made you miss the source of the problem which is Tauriel's lack of trust. You must have noticed that she was doubting her friend from chapter 1 to present. Perhaps you've been seing an improvement in the last couple of chapters which made you forget that fact, but chapter 29 will make you take my words into consideration again. If she trusted him and everyhting was resolved with a poof of a wand, I wouldn't be writing this story. Thank you anyway for pointing this out to me. It is too late to modify anything in this childhood phase, but I promise I will compensate for it soon. :D**_

 _ **Secondbreakfast - LoL, sorry, but if you were expecting a Sherlock Holmes style investigation, I must dissapoint. I'm even more dreadful at writing those than I am at writing this story. :D**_

 _ **As always read and review. I'll try to keep in touch more often.**_

 _ **ME**_

 **CHAPTER 28**

Was it worse to feel or to be numb like now? Tauriel thought that she was in her senses because there was nothing which indicated her otherwise apart from the fact that she was in a very dark place and that she couldn't feel her injuries. If this was death then it wasn't as she had imagined it. There was no ship, no light, no songs composed by elves. In fact, there was nothing to be heard.

It was impossible to know how much time had passed. It was like she was in her head, but it was all a grand hollow. Her mind was never this silent; not even when she was in a dreamlike state. Her vision was never this darkened; it always visualized what was before her even when another race could not see a finger in front of their eyes. Her hearing was never more peaceful. Acknowledging the passing footsteps in the distance or any small sounds no matter how quiet they were was gone. It was a truly awkward moment in time.

If this was a dream; she did not differentiate it from reality. So passed the hours; or maybe even days though it was impossible to tell. Would she continue to float like this for the rest of eternity? It wasn't a particularly encouraging prospect of her future.

First sign of anything unusual was silent chanting. It was the voice well known to her; the voice of her king. His face swirled in her head while his voice became evermore near. She didn't know what to make of this strange event, but when the voice disappeared; she too fell asleep.

Now she knew she was awake. Her wrists started to throb as soon as she made a slight movement, but her head was the one who pulsed violently making her feel nauseous and disoriented. Pain shot through her left wrist as she tried to move it. At first she thought that someone tied her up, but soon her fingers encountered someone's warm hand in her own with that someone sleeping on it.

It took her a while to sharpen her vision and turn her head around. Somehow she was convinced that the face she would find was the king's, but laughed at her folly when she instead found the blonde haired prince breathing evenly.

His face betrayed such serenity that she barely had the heart to wake him. Leaving him to sleep was a noble thing to do, but he was lying on top of her left hand almost crushing it. There seemed to be no other remedy. Tauriel had no confidence in the strength of her own voice; neither certainty that her stomach wouldn't react when she opened her mouth.

The prince awoke upon feeling something warm on his face. At first he thought he was having a very strange dream, but soon remembered where he was and why. His confused face soon turned into a grin when he spotted her.

"Manen ceril tinu nin?" he asked in his usual melodic manner.

Tauriel tried to focus on his voice before replying.

"Magnificent. What happened?" she replied with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Do you not remember?"

Tauriel closed her eyes trying to summon back her memory. It didn't take her long to do so, but this was a piece of information which she'd rather keep to herself. "I don't know." she replied after opening her eyes again pushing the thought back in order to detain it from appearing on her expression for him to read. The slight insecurity in her tone which was a product of not telling the truth was easily mistaken for her general state of disorientation.

The prince had no reason to doubt her words. "Esta." was his only command.

"I am not tired. How long have I been here anyway?" she replied defiantly trying to sit up in the same breath. Her attempt would have been utterly fruitless if Legolas did not give her a hand with a heavy sigh knowing better then to argue with her.

Ninenath walked inside preventing him from asking any more questions for the moment. The healer shot her a reproachful look, but followed the prince's example and did not attempt to reason with her. It would only be spending her voice in vain.

Pretending to ignore the disapprobation; she shot her an inquisitive look without getting an immediate response. Ninenath inquired about her injuries; especially her head which made Tauriel realize what the source of all general illness was.

If the circumstances were different, she would not have had patience to lie in the bed if she felt capable to get up. However, sleeping was the best way to avoid any questions which were unwelcome while her mind tried to invent a remotely credible story.

Her knowledge of Lord Brien's ill conduct did not bring her any feeling of satisfaction. The fact that she had the power to reveal such a thing about him as was rarely (read never) heard of among their race gave her no pleasure. Her sudden power over him was a punishment rather than a small payback for what he did.

If he were not her best friend's father; perhaps she could summon the courage to accuse him; even without any proof for her allegations. Someone else would have recognized this event as a potential danger which could poison all their lives, but all Tauriel ever had in mind was her friend who would indirectly be affected if the king exerted the appropriate punishment upon one of the high Sindarian lords. How could she look into Gileth's eyes again if she became the cause of her family's disintegration?

Legolas did not question her again for the next two days and Tauriel was grateful for it. This however gave her little security because the king was still reluctant to visit her or perhaps waiting for her to be discharged from the healers before summoning her. The mere notion of lying to either of them was making her entire being fill with dread.

Never before had she contemplated intentionally deceiving either of them. Was it even possible to deceive the king?

The prince was young and inexperienced, but she had the feeling that the king was capable of reading her every thought like an open book. As long as he remained silent; she was not doing anything wrong by not speaking. Lying to her king was another matter altogether.

She stayed in the healing wing without protesting to the healer's great surprise. They did not suspect what was her motivation for doing so or knew what to make of her sudden reticence so unlike her usual lively manner. Mostly they attributed it to her head contusion, but as they days and her headaches passed; nothing much changed.

To Legolas at least; she talked more or less in their usual manner of intimacy. He always brought some new game which they played on her bed sitting opposite to each other and there was not much to catch his attention. Tauriel made an effort to deviate from any topic which could easily lead them to asking unwanted questions. Gileth too came every day helping her clean herself up and be presentable for the visits which were reduced to Ergolan, Laeorn, the prince and herself.

Ergolan too did not come very often noticing that his presence did not suit the prince even when the latter stood quiet. He still came, but not as frequent as he would have preferred. Soon the only thing left to heal was her sprained ankle. She made little effort to stand and regain its usual swiftness delaying the moment of her release.

No one could have thought that she did this to get out of her usual lessons because Legolas brought her plenty to do when he was away. When there was no one to amuse her, but herself; Tauriel sat on the bed with her ankle stretched out on the pillow at the foot of her bed and read the endless pages with her usual enthusiasm.

Too absorbed in what she was doing; she failed to notice an unwelcome visitor before he closed the door behind him. When her eyes lifted to his face, it was impossible to conceal her alarm. She knew there were two guards stationed outside so she felt confident in being safe enough while inside, but apparently she was wrong.

Lord Brien stood before her as arrogant as ever. "How did you get in? Where are the guards?" she asked closing her book swiftly and standing up on her feet. Her ankle did not hurt very much, but she still felt weak for the lack of physical activity.

"The guards are on their way to see the king or so they have been informed. By the time they get back; it will be too late. Don't spend your voice in vain calling for aid because no one can hear you. Healers are attending a matter outside so it's just you and me now." he replied making a slow advance toward her.

She knew it had to be truth, because it would be a foolish move to come here and leave witnesses. Tauriel said nothing this time. Her mind was completely empty to make any strategy which would keep her alive long enough for the guards to realize they have been deceived.

Brien read the resignation on her face. "I am well aware that you did not raise alarm against me. That was very brave of you. Brave, but foolish. You have intentionally incapacitated all those who were capable to protect you." he spoke coming to a dangerous proximity.

"If I suspected that I had left you alive, I would have finished you right there. I had more than sufficient time to do so. Valar watched over you once more. I don't have enough time to tell you everything I want, but know this. No one will know that I was here, but do not lament it. I am certain that your filthy Sylvan parents will be more than pleased by your reunion." he spoke with finality, but Tauriel unfroze when his voice died away even if it was too late.

She took a step back putting weight on her sprained ankle which made her tumble backwards before she could detain herself. She was almost in the sitting position on the floor. She heard a slam, but not from the direction she had anticipated. The things played out so fast that she was staring in shock before ten seconds were out.

Towering over her now was no longer Gileth's father, but her king in person. He had his back turned on her staring at the elf with a face of cold fury making the unfortunate creature shrink in fear. If Tauriel could see his expression; she would understand why Lord Brien was trembling like a frightened animal.

In despite of the fact that he did not speak; his outrage was evident. "Never before..." was the only understandable speech which came from his mouth. He would have hardly believed it possible if his own eyes did not bear witness to it. "Lock him up." he ordered after retrieving his voice. The order was gladly obeyed.

Tauriel was lost for words using the remnant of her spiritual presence to stand up and lean on the wall. Her barely healed ankle protested in response probably twisted again by her sudden fall on the ground.

Would he ever speak again? He stood there yet she knew not whether to say something or remain silent. She didn't even know what was there to be told between them. Thranduil's musings seemed to follow a similar direction to her own. Suddenly; the most natural thing to do seemed to be for him to leave as suddenly as he appeared. He did so very elegantly sparing only a short glance in her direction in order to make sure she wasn't seriously injured.

Thanking him was pointless. He already knew that she was grateful and no word could convey that to him better than her expression which even though shocked was easy enough to read. Tauriel was left alone again to sit and contemplate her luck or misfortune depending on the point of view.

Lord Brien released her from the torturous necessity of having to pretend to have no memory of the event and lie both to her friend and his father. She hoped Gileth wouldn't blame her for this. Her father was the one to betray himself on the end.

What would happen to him? She knew it was just a matter of minutes before they would inform Legolas of the event. The speed in which he arrived stunned even her calculations. He was already at the entrance before she had five minutes to compose herself enough.

His features were full of worry, but they also showed a not disregarding amount of disdain and fury. It was a play of good luck that he came to see her before doing something stupid.

He inquired if she was hurt with such velocity and such disordered line of questions that she could barely hold back tears and refrain her mouth from requesting to be avenged. She wanted him to be punished, but tried to stop it as soon as the prince announced his intention to go and behead him personally.

"Daro Legolas! U! Gin iallon baw henio!" Tauriel saw no other remedy, but to physically restrain him from continuing toward the door by pulling him back with both of her arms. The act itself would have been utterly useless if Legolas did not stop on his own accord.

He could easily free his arm from her hold, but he stood and stared at her in disbelief. "Tauriel, he has wronged you in the most dishonorable and cowardly manner. Am man do you beg for his miserable life? He does not deserve it." he asked leading her back to bed. He was released only when the elleth had a reasonable belief that he wouldn't charge out the door.

"It is not him I am worried about. You cannot stain your hands with his blood no matter what his wrongs are." Tauriel shook her head in constant terror of that act's consequences.

"If that is all; I assure you I have no considerations toward him which would make my conscience oppose to the deed itself." he replied standing up, but before he had made two steps; he found himself restrained again.

He would have probably ignored her renewed attempt to reason with him. "An ngell nin mellon. If you kill him, I will never be able to look into Gileth's eyes again." she spoke quickly knowing that he was preparing to storm off and conscious of her momentary disability to pursue him through the halls.

Legolas looked at her again softening his eyes a little. "Lord Brien is the only one who can be held accountable in this matter. No one can blame you for what he did." he replied with conviction gently releasing her hold on his arm placing his lips softly over her forehead.

Tauriel knew it was useless to pursue him when her sprained ankle impeded her to move swiftly so she compensated it with the force of her voice. "Do you think it will matter whose fault it was when my best friend becomes a murderer and the other an orphan on my account?" she all, but shouted after him. He barely visibly flinched and only detained for a moment before going out the door leaving her to tremble in the suspense of what she would find on his face when she saw him next time.

She waited and waited for hours which seemed like an eternity. Orcs did not count as living beings to her, but killing another elf could poison his soul forever. She prayed to the Valar to give him sense he had lost.

Finally, he entered again wearing an expressionless mask which could neither comfort her nor bring her the knowledge of something she did not wish to hear. "What did you do?" she asked with half frightened squeak placing both her feet on the cold floor. The action was not approved by her ankle which; as assumed; had a fresh sprain. She felt excessively tired from today's events, but did not dare fall asleep.

She was afraid to wake up and find that her friend did something unforgivable. The Valar would never let him part to the white shores if his hands were stained with elfish blood.

No word was spoken until he was in an arm's reach. "Do not concern yourself. I have not even seen him." he informed her unhappily.

Tauriel released the breath she was holding with a loud exhale being able to breathe again. Her arms wrapped around his torso; her head falling to his chest. No sound came from her mouth. Would there be any purpose in speaking when words clearly weren't enough.

The prince was content enough to appreciate the gesture. He held her very gently even though her embrace could crush a solid rock. She was completely still. The only sounds breaking the dead silence were their even breaths.

By the end of the following day, Tauriel was on her feet even though her freshly healed ankle sustained another sprain. The sealed environment begun to drive her crazy. She fought to place the events in the back of her mind and was mostly successful.

The king decided to interrogate her in private without notifying his son. Retelling that story would do him more harm than good. However, his empathy was unnecessary because Tauriel spoke very little of the dreadful evening. Her efforts were turned toward saving the one who wronged her rather than making a statement against him. She spoke very little in general. He knew she wouldn't lie if he asked a straightforward question, but the elleth begged him not to make such inquiries knowing her own limits.

The pending investigation of the events in the healing wing was the only remaining source of information. Tauriel tried not to listen about the development of events following in the next two weeks after that day, but could not avoid hearing the people gossip.

Gileth's mother was also involved with the second attempt on her life of which Gileth herself informed her of. She looked horrified at what her own parents were capable of. She blamed them for their cruelty towards an innocent soul and tried to believe that their fate did not concern her with tried being the key word.

Three weeks after the incident in the healing ward everything was over. King Thranduil could not pardon such a monstrosity. Lord Brien and his wife were stripped from their rank and condemned to eternal exile from Mirkwood. Their actions made him wake from his passive stance toward their daughter. At one moment, he was giving them their sentence and at the next, he was giving his explicit consent for Gileth's immediate recruitment into his guard.

Tauriel did not attend their trial, but information was coming from all sides as soon as the word got out. Their compassionate expressions everywhere she went, did not flatter her. The only remedy she found was to keep her head high, her expression determined and wait for all of it to stop eventually.

Poor Gileth had a lot to think about. The wish dearest to her heart was fulfilled, but her joy was polluted with her family's disgrace.

The road to becoming a soldier was difficult even without her background. The start was filled with ill-intentioned gossip and prejudice on behalf of her ancestry, but Gileth had such an open and cheerful nature that nobody could stay indifferent to her especially not the members of the opposite gender.

Ergolan was the first who offered her a hand and Laeorn watched her back whenever he had a free eye and time to spare making the rest of his squad back off. Tauriel imagined that this was not how her friend envisioned her dream, but sometimes things do not turn out the way one expects it.

Gossip was not the only legacy Gileth's parents left. After king Thranduil sentenced them to exile, Legolas took it upon himself to give the news to his little friend, but she didn't show anything like relief or pleasure at the news. It was the first time in their acquaintance that the prince felt truly angry at her. When his father informed him that she made no official claim against them; it felt like adding oil to the fire. Legolas stormed to her room to demand an explanation.

"They have been punished. There is no difference." was the only response to his heated reproach. His loss of temper was something she was experiencing for the first time.

"Why do you defend the people who wronged you in such a vile way?" he asked rising his voice in indignation.

Tauriel tried to keep her posture. "I don't care about either of them in the slightest. What I did or failed to do was for my friend's benefit not for theirs." she replied keeping her voice at the normal level.

"The same friend you were not speaking to for the past couple of weeks?" he asked severely annoyed at how ridiculous that sounded although he was just looking for an excuse to take his anger out on someone.

It was hard to argue about that fact. "Yes the same one. Do you want to know why?" she finally lost her temper and started shouting back. He was startled into silence not making use of the sudden pause in her speech.

He looked at her; really looked at her for the first time. "Because that is what true friends are about. They fight or they don't, but on the end of the day, they always have each other's backs because they care about one another." she continued taking advantage of the sudden lack of response from her co speaker, but keeping her tone at an acceptable level.

"Do you think that gives you right to...?" Legolas tried to continue his line of fire, but whatever he intended to say would never be spoken out loud.

Tauriel took a deep breath placing two fingers between her eyes while trying to regain the control over her temper. "The right!? I have every right to decide in this matter. It was me who bled on that floor for hours waiting for death to come and take me! I do not regret the decision I have taken. For the first time in my life, I feel like I've done something right. Even if they could get away with what happened; I still wouldn't have accused them. You may like it or you may not, but my mind is made up." she spoke forcefully making him calm down and lose the sudden will to argue with her.

After releasing all her frustration, she also leveled her voice to its normal volume. "Now get out of my room. I want to be left alone." she finished her speech in a calm manner.

This was the first time she ordered him out of her room, but she knew that if he kept pestering her with this; it would only make her say something which she would regret afterwards. Even though she despised to speak to him in such a manner; she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was at right which provided her with the resolution she almost lost.

She heard him exit, but dared not look his way. Her feet could no longer sustain her so she sat on her bed covering her face with her hands. She had never seen; up until today; her best friend lose his mind in such a way.

Her anger was never directed towards him, but the frustration was accumulating during the past period and it was only the matter of time before it got released on someone.

The next day brought the departure of the two Sindarian elves. For those who wished to leave the service of the pair; the king granted admittance into the guard divisions. Tauriel was happy to see that the pair who travelled with them to see Gileth's brother had accepted the king's offer. Only two elves remained as their escort. Tauriel watched from afar with her friend who did not come forward to wish them a safe journey.

"Do not feel sorry mellon nin. Their fate is not as dreadful as it seems. They get to live and start a new life somewhere else. If they cannot learn modesty; then it's their fault." Gileth was the one to comfort her little friend even though her parents were the ones who were departing perhaps forever.

Tauriel watched the floor absently. "I don't have any words of comfort or empathy for you mellon nin. Is it easier to live with knowing they still exist somewhere only without you or is the death a better way for those who stay behind?" she asked trying to place herself in her friend's shoes.

"I don't think anyone has an answer to that question. Perhaps if they live; you still have a hope that they will come back, but each day you get fresh disappointment after what you hope for does not happen." Gileth replied with a slight frown on her face.

This conversation did not contain anything in particular, but Tauriel knew how to make use of those words. Talking about death and how feeble their immortality was always makes someone wonder if they are being true to those who they believe will always stay by one's side.

For the thousandth time; Tauriel stood in front of the familiar door knocking. "Minno," a soft voice came from the inside. The room was filled with sunlight coming from the window; yet it never appeared more gloomy. Legolas sat on the edge of his bed with his hands gripping the blanket while staring at his own feet. He had no weapons or jacket with him. His eyes seemed empty and distracted.

"I did not think that you would want to see me today." his voice coming from afar. Tauriel made a few deliberate steps towards him and sat next to him mimicking his posture with the only difference being her head inclining in his direction.

"It's like I said mellon nin. We may argue or we may not, but on the end of the day; I always have your back." she replied only barely audible.

Her intention was not to listen to another apology. "You may be pleased to hear that Gileth's parents departed this morning." she continued trying to provoke a response, but he either did not wish or didn't know what to say. He only stared at the distance.

"I chose my friend over justice. You might not understand me right now, but you will one day. If the price for it is losing my best friend; I am not ready to pay that price." she continued after a short sigh.

He inclined his head towards her face slightly. He intertwined his right and her left hand. "It's like you said. I might get angry or I might not, but on the end of the day I've got your back because I care about you and I don't want to lose you." he replied twisting his lips upwards slightly.

"You added that last part yourself." she smiled relaxing her head on his shoulder. Legolas stroked her hair with his own smile plastered upon his face without the need to aggregate anything else.

 _Translations:_

 _Manen ceril tinu nin? - How are you my little star?_

 _Esta - Rest_

 _Daro Legolas! U! Gin iallon baw henio - Stop Legolas! No! I beg of you don't do it!_

 _An ngell nin mellon - Please friend!_

 _Am man? - Why?_

 _Minno - Enter_


	29. Chapter 29

_**Dear readers,**_

 _ **Thank you for your continued support.**_

 _ **This new chapter is pretty much self-explanatory.**_

 _ **It also marks an end to the first phase of my story.**_

 _ **Second phase is coming up soon in this very same story if you keep up with me.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **ME**_

 **CHAPTER 29**

Spring was Tauriel's favorite season of the year for many reasons. It represented warm time after tedious secluded winters which brought her the constant companionship of books and closed space which was a severe punishment for someone whose own name indicated that she was the daughter of the forest. It was also the season of bright colors especially green which meant little to the habitants of the forest which lost its brightness every day.

It was also the time of celebrating her birthday which remained the same apart from the constant change of the guest list. Ever since Gileth entered into her life, the two elleths lead a never-ending battle about Tauriel's wardrobe and that conflict was always the most heated when it came to celebrations. Tauriel refused all her friend's attempts of persuasion into wearing a dress (and not only because her choice of colors was extravagant).

In her fifteenth year, Tauriel's features did not alter much, but the changes inevitably came sooner or later. Gileth hoped that with the progress of years, her friend would gain some feminine vanity at least occasionally. Since she failed at one aspect of Tauriel's appearance, she persisted on being the one to arrange her "toilette" which entitled Tauriel accepting a tunic which in her wildest dreams would never be worn if it wasn't for the insistence of her friend. Gileth could at least make her look like an elleth even if the dress was one point which she couldn't win without Tauriel's willing consent. Forcing her into it was not a good solution.

Since the birthday celebration did not alter much since the first one celebrated in the palace, there is no need for detailed description. The prince and the king were always her most distinguished guests, joined later by Laeorn, Ergolan, Gileth, Beleorn, Gwendor, Alsidis and a few other guards who came in shifts according to their official duties. Elethan and his parents became part of the party since the year before.

Legolas was very much surprised when Tauriel requested them to be invited. For a little while, he even feared that she would leave him, but when she showed no indication of wanting anything more, but their company once in a while, he grew complacent. Elethan was now at Tauriel's age when she first came to the palace and the only elfling present.

His relationship with the young elleth who saved his life so many years ago was of an odd nature. By the grace of his two parents, he grew up hearing about Tauriel and the way she saved him from orcs on that particular day. Her face did not remain in his memories because he was barely one year old at the time. He had pleaded to meet her ever since he knew about himself, but his parents never allowed the contact. They did not explain to him why and he was too young to understand anyway.

Their surprise was equal to the prince's when they received an invitation after six years without contact of any kind. As soon as he met her, he started following her around everywhere. Tauriel did not mind his company, but his mixture of admiration and attempts to be friendly at the same time were more than she could handle which is why they did not spend as much time together as they could have otherwise.

The two elflings from Ergolan's village she befriended came only once last year with a lot of good humor and eager to talk as eager as they were to listen to Ergolan's story about his first days as a recruit in the king's guard.

They had more to say than time allowed them to so the king generously invited them to spend a few days with their friends. The motive he admitted to himself was that would please the young elleth, but the one buried deep within him was to relieve Legolas of his constant duty as her companion; not that Legolas thought of it as his duty.

When all the guests who did not reside in the king's palace excused themselves and said all that was appropriate, only the king, the prince and the guards remained in the company. Elethan was the last one to leave although they were spending the night in the palace.

The table suddenly went quiet as in expectation though no one knew what created that atmosphere; well almost no one. "Tauriel." the silence was interrupted by the most unlikely person; the king himself. Laeorn fought to hide his grin and he succeeded. Tauriel was on the other side of the table surprised as everyone else by being addressed. She focused her attention on the speaker.

"Come closer." he called her unnecessarily using his palm. She was in front of him in a heartbeat curtseying as formally as she could. She looked questioningly at the closest thing she ever had to a father.

On her surprise, he observed her thoroughly; reading her mind she assumed. "It so happens that I too have a gift for you." he formulated his speech like this.

Tauriel was not as fond of gifts as others so she didn't appear much impressed, but merely curious. "You will like this one I presume." the king continued when she stood silent in contemplation about the nature of this "gift" which he seemed to be keeping for a special moment.

"I have spoken to my captain and we agreed that the time has come for you to be recruited into my guard if that is still your wish of course." he spoke in a more ceremonious voice than necessary.

The young elleth blinked twice taking longer than usual to make sense of his words. When she did; she was too dumbstruck to move. King Thranduil knew when to pick the perfect timing for giving her such a surprise. She opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to find the right words, vividly aware of the fact that all eyes were on her.

It took her a couple of minutes to collect her jumbled thoughts and remember the right response. She knelt before her king as soon as her body started responding to her commands. "Hannon le aran nin. Guren glassui. Le faul. I will work hard not to disappoint you." she spoke in a disorderly fashion trying to suppress her excitement.

"Rise Tauriel." the king said in his usual manner. Her response was as he had anticipated though a few minutes delayed. "Good. That's settled. You will wait for the official notification and not pester my captain about it before then." he replied standing up himself and walking away the next minute.

As soon as he was out of the hearing range, the table erupted in congratulations mostly consisting on giving her a tap on the back or making a humorous remark on her account. She was too distracted to notice Gileth hugging her, Ergolan shaking her hand and Legolas walking out with his father.

Legolas followed his father to his chambers not allowing to be sidetracked. His father did not expect otherwise after taking such a decision without consulting his son.

"Ionneg. Tauriel's recruitment is a settled matter. My decision is irrevocable." the king spoke first after the door closed behind him knowing from the start that he had been followed.

"She is too young. I beg you to postpone your decision for the time being. There is no reason to rush the matters." Legolas insisted.

The king walked about the room in contemplation. "She is old enough to commence training. It will be years before she is out on the battlefield. I see no reason to postpone my decision." he replied with a calm resolved voice.

While his son considered a good argument for his request; the king used the opportunity to fill in the silence. "It is what she wants ionneg. Her combat skills are beyond anything I've ever seen at such a young age. I might as well put them to good use since they have been offered to me freely." he added with more compassion.

Legolas could not agree with this, but he found no way to stop his father from doing what he wanted. "You should have discussed this with me beforehand ada." was the only thing left to say on the end.

His father turned his face away from him. "I am free to discuss my decisions with whomever I consider fit or with no one at all. That is one of the perks about being the king. Your relationship with her would not have allowed you to look at the situation at hand objectively." he returned to his formal address. "If that is all, you are dismissed. I will see you tomorrow." Legolas bowed and left the king's chambers reluctantly.

Upon reaching his chambers he realized that someone was waiting for him outside; someone with bright red hair. "Minno." he said without any previous ceremony upon addressing her. They were past all these evasiveness.

Tauriel did so without hesitation waiting for him to close the door before wrapping her arms around his torso; much like she used to when she was smaller. Her senses returned eventually and the first thing she noticed was the absence of her friend. It was incredible that after all these years; he was still the first person her eyes would look for in such situations. When they failed to locate him; she walked straight after him without waiting around to say goodbye to her guests for the first time in seven years.

Legolas did not know how to respond to that. Suddenly, he felt guilty for not being able to share his friend's joy. His hand mechanically caressed her hair, but his mouth could not produce a word of encouragement or even a gesture.

"I know you're not pleased about the arrangement, but you knew this day would come." she spoke first after releasing him.

Legolas did not look straight at her because of his disability to deny it. "It came too soon. I was counting that my father would wait at least until you were of age." he replied absently. "Are you sure that this is what you really want? You do not need to make this choice right now." he asked trying to find something in her eyes; anything that would indicate him that she had second thoughts about the matter, but there he found nothing, but resolve. She looked at him evenly though with a small hint of understanding. She and everybody else knew that he did not want her to spend her life as a soldier, but he had little say in the matter.

"I've wanted this since before I knew my own name. I've been preparing for it all my life. I have no doubts. It's who I am. I never wanted anything as badly as I want this. Try to see it the way I do mellon." she replied half pleading with him to understand.

His problem however had nothing to do with understanding. "I see it; it's just hard for me to make peace with it. I will get used to the idea with time. You need not fret being happy about it in my presence. I support you even if I don't always agree with you. I have your back." he replied as honestly as he dared.

Tauriel considered these words trying to find the right response. "Good. Than you can start with my sword training tomorrow morning." she finally settled on making light of the situation and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

Legolas chuckled half-heartedly while observing his little friend skipping out of his chamber.

Tauriel did not allow herself to be truly excited until she made it to the solitude of her own bedchamber. Little did she know about the price she would have to pay for it sooner rather than later. King Thranduil allowed her a day of merriment and careless behavior before putting in action the second part of his scheme.

The young elleth had been summoned to the throne room the following evening. Her king wanted to speak to her in private. From his grave face; Tauriel concluded it was ill news. At first she thought that Legolas somehow accomplished to change his mind and postpone her recruitment. The truth is that; perhaps; this would have been preferable to the thought the king planted in her mind.

"As you know Tauriel, your training is scheduled to commence in a very near future." The king started his speech like this walking around her. His manner was distant, but the words themselves would have made her fly if she didn't feel some kind of hidden dread while waiting for what came next. It was easy to imagine there was more from the king's posture and the energy he was spreading around the cold throne room.

The elleth did not respond sensing that no one was expecting her to. "You are aware of my decision, but you must also be aware of my son's reluctance to it." He spoke in a manner which showed that he was measuring these words for a very long time before today.

"Yes." Tauriel replied with a resolute voice although she felt all, but secure at the moment. Her short direct response seemed in place.

King Thranduil did not expect her to rebel against him and she did not disappoint. "That is why for both your sakes, I have decided it is for the best he doesn't stay by your side during this challenging period in your life." Tauriel sucked in a deep breath finally lifting her head to look at the tall elf who was pacing around the room without giving her a second look while notifying her of this.

"Aran nin…" Tauriel started in surprise, but was not allowed to speak. "My son has been invited by lord Elrond himself to spend a period of time in Rivendell. Do you not find that opportunity rather useful for a prince of Mirkwood? He will have a lot to learn from such a wise elven lord. This trip couldn't be anything, but beneficial for him." King Thranduil asked and answered his own questions in the same breath.

Tauriel was barely able to respond feeling like someone poured a bucket of cold water over her head. "Will he want to leave?" she asked barely making sense of her jumbled thoughts.

"No." was the quick response making her jerk her head in surprise. Only for a moment, she felt something like hope. "He will either want to stay here with you or take you with him. I can't be the one to convince him otherwise." He replied still staring somewhere in the distance.

"Then who…?" Tauriel asked already fearing the answer. The king's eyes which burned top of her head because of her reluctance to look at him gave her a response before his lips parted to speak. "You." He simply replied. The young elleth closed her eyes taking a deep breath.

"You will persuade my son to do what is expected of him. Isn't this what you always wanted; a chance to make your father proud? Legolas will distract you if he remains by your side. He will protect and favor you which will incapacitate you to make much progress. If he takes you with him, you will not be able to commence your training. You will have to decide how strong your resolve is. I will, of course make my son aware of the plan to in the course of the day. He will refuse. You need not tell me of your decision. I am certain that you will do your duty." He continued sparing her of necessity to speak..

She didn't know if he mentioned the word father on purpose. That word was never associated to her birth father, but the king himself. Was he aware of the meaning of his words or did he ask the question unknowingly? Either way, those were the words which made it impossible for her to refuse his request or open her mouth at all. The conversation seemed to be finished if someone could put such a name to it. The king ended his stroll by sitting down on his throne merely limiting himself to observing her. Tauriel stood still for a moment attempting to formulate an appropriate response, but none came. Speaking didn't seem like a natural thing to do at the time. Her small form bowed and retreated without a word. The silence of the rooms she passed on her way out was compensated by the turmoil in her head.

A few hours; that's how long she had to take a decision. How could she convince the prince to do something neither of them desired? Rivendell was a long way away. His absence would be of an extended kind. That is why the king needed her cooperation. This separation would last at least a year or two. The position she found herself in barely twelve hours after her unexpected bliss was unbearable. In truth; she wasn't choosing between sending her best friend away and not doing so. She was choosing a way to send him away.

Her first rational thoughts began to return when she realized she was contemplating this matter in the corridor where anyone could see her pale face. If she ever wanted a shot at persuading Legolas into anything, she would have to appear in control of herself. If she broke into pieces, he would never leave her. Fortunately, it was time for sleep so she would have time to think this through.

The next morning after the morning meal was over and Tauriel retired without raising suspicion from her very conspicuous friend, the king as promised delivered lord Elrond's invitation to his son. As expected; the invitation was unwelcome. The prince promised to consider it to humor his father, but both of them knew what his answer would be. Legolas left the paper on his nightstand not intending to read it anytime soon.

Tauriel learned enough of her friend's habits to know he wouldn't even mention this information to her which is why she thought of a way to bring up the topic. He was busy for the durance of the day so she made her way to his room already in knowledge of the whereabouts of what she was looking for and also aware of the fact that he wasn't there yet. When she entered, the room was lighted, but deserted. The letter was standing where she'd seen it before.

She unwrapped it and read its contents quickly. There was no departing date or the return one for that matter; not that she expected any, but she knew the road was safest during spring which was close to end. As soon as her sensitive hearing picked on the light footsteps; she silently skated to the window and leaned her back on it pretending to read it again. How many lies would be necessary before the day was over? She hoped none because she wasn't a good liar, but she could at least withhold the truth for some time. He entered soon after already taking his weapons off before he stepped inside.

The elleth pretended to look surprised and guilty by his appearance. "Mellon. It's been a very long time since you last lurked in my bedchamber while I'm not there." he chuckled spotting a paper in her hand looking slightly uncomfortable with her reading it.

"Goheno nin mellon. I didn't mean to pry. It was on your nightstand" she replied with a grin while he took of his evening cloak.

"Did it fly into your hands accidentally as well?" he asked mischievously.

Tauriel felt like it was the right time to move. "Well no, but you know me. If you want to keep secrets hide them away from my view." she laughed briefly placing the weight of her body on his bed which was supposed to be her nonchalant move. "So you're going to Rivendell? That sounds like fun." she asked in a relaxed tone looking at him from the half sitting position she took.

Legolas mimicked her posture and sat next to her catching the paper with two fingers of his left hand. "You needn't worry about it. I'm not going anywhere." he said squashing the poor unsuspecting letter into a ball and throwing into into the chimney.

Tauriel sat up facing him in fake yet very convincing surprise. "That is no way to treat a letter from lord Elrond in person. What do you mean you're not going?" she asked again faking emotions she was far from feeling at the moment. "Just imagine Rivendell; the hidden valley which you told me so much about, meeting lord Elrond, his sons and his daughter? I wonder if she is as beautiful as they say?" she chatted lively with a dreamy expression.

Some of her excitement was genuine so it was impossible for the prince to find anything out of ordinary in her posture which he tried. She knew she would raise suspicion which is why it took her so long to prepare for this act. "I'll go if you come with me." he offered her a deal. The idea suddenly came to his head almost filling him with hope. Perhaps seeing Rivendell would avert her from her course for a while, but that hope turned off as quickly as it came.

Tauriel narrowed her eyes at him. "I can't come with you. My training could start any moment." she replied already ready for his response. Her eyes filled with understanding; perfectly timed yet genuine. "Is this about me? Legolas." she sighed coming closer to him; face to face. "Stop worrying about me. I am no longer a little elfling. You chased the demons away a long time ago." she spoke giving him a hug which he returned smelling her scent in like he used to when he was upset. when she was smaller. He pulled away to give a good look of her face. She looked back at him evenly not showing any signs of alarm or deceit.

"That maybe so, but I am still not comfortable with you leaving my sight especially not when the time is so undefined. You're about to commence your training. I need to be there to give you a hand." he replied not looking at her or anywhere in particular.

"I will have dozens of hands if I ever need them including the captain's. I don't want to be treated any different than the rest of the guys. Try to imagine it for one second. All the places you could visit, friends you could make; perhaps you could even find your second half. Close your eyes." she spoke with eagerness she did not feel. From a little grin on his face; Tauriel could see that he liked what he saw and he did.

He shook his head to wake from his short trance. "Maybe you're right. I'll think about it." he replied looking at her with a hint of sadness and she knew; she knew he would go. All it took was for her to wake in him the old desire he had to go and see the outside world.

During dinner all three of them were distracted; each with his or her own musings. Thranduil knew the elleth spoke to his son, but neither of them revealed the details or the existence of that exchange.

Legolas was quiet for two days, but on the third morning he was finally ready to announce his decision. He did so first with his father than his little friend. The king looked genuinely surprised. He knew the elleth would do as was asked of her, but deep down he didn't believe even she would succeed.

The king was pleased, but the little elleth only in appearance. Tauriel tried to look happy for her friend. He truly did look excited to go and she celebrated her victory for his sake. Keeping her face straight and her emotions at bay was the most challenging thing she ever did, but her strength did not falter. The date of the departure was set thirty days from now.

The preparations were already in full motion three days before the set date. Legolas tried to spend as much time as he could with his friend before his extended absence, but he had more work to do than ever before. Tauriel wasn't aware that a whole new wardrobe was one of the requirements when a prince took a journey. He spent hours with the tailors who made him new casual robes, new formal robes, new travelling cloak; all in great pompous style. The jeweler was even brought to make a new crown. Legolas only agreed to it to allow his father to have his fun since he wouldn't see him for a while, but he was getting more annoyed by the day.

Even the guards accompanying the prince were getting new uniforms to match the occasion. They would only go escort him there and come back.

Six guards would accompany him on his journey to Rivendell. The king tried to make one of those be the captain himself, but his son firmly refused. Laeorn's journey there and back would make him late for the commencement of Tauriel's training and the prince needed someone to be there with her and he trusted him the most.

When the two of them managed to be together during the day, it was mostly in the company of either a tailor or a blacksmith who on the prince's utmost annoyance was making new weapons for him and all in the king's exaggerated fashion.

Tauriel was partially content with the company. It gave her strong motive to remain cheerful the last few days they had left. She could always tease the prince with inappropriate comments about his new looks and what they would attract. In reality; she found him even more beautiful than ever, but those line of thoughts would be hidden from his acknowledgement; preferably forever.

Two days, one day; they passed too quick for both of them. Legolas was both excited about the journey and anxious about leaving his friend who was barely out of his sight during the course of eight years. If she had agreed on going with him; his heart would have been much lighter, but she decided to remain where she was.

The night before the departure, the prince lead his friend toward the guard wing. The elleth was completely clueless as to why. He did not anticipate anything to her during the evening meal. She merely looked at him curiously, but asked no questions.

The last corridor which took them toward their destination was deserted. Suddenly, he stopped in front of an ordinary door which were very close to the rest of the guards, but not exactly in the guard wing. He let her in without a previous ceremony. The chamber looked much like an ordinary bedroom although it was larger with a small balcony.

"Mellon, why did you bring me here?" Tauriel asked looking around. Although, the room had a bed, a closet and some furniture, it seemed like no one lived in it for a very long time. She was walking toward the balcony while speaking this and was silenced by the sight of the stars. They were beautiful and this room had a good view at the sky.

The trance would have probably last for much longer if she haven't felt a warm hand on top of her head. She looked at him expectantly. He simply smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders. He barely had to lower down to her height nowadays, but he stared at her with a soul reading look. The intensity of his gaze surprised her, but she didn't move away and stared back evenly.

"From tomorrow this will be your new bedroom; only if you want it of course." he silenced her with his hand seeing as she was about to reply and probably turn him down for the sake of some misplaced fears. "Just hear me out mellon nin. I'm taking my leave tomorrow. My father is rarely in occasion to keep an eye on you due to his numerous duties which will only increase in number when I am gone. The guards reside above and beyond you so you won't feel lonely. I thought you would like this room. I know how much you love to watch the night sky." he continued sitting on the mattress behind him holding her hands with both of his.

Tauriel smiled: "You're still worried about me, but you mustn't be." she said gently caressing his face. He simply closed his eyes and sighed in contentment.

"I will always worry about you no matter how far I am or how long I am absent. This room is just a small gift; a reminder that I am always watching over you." he replied with a sad smile pulling her to sit next to him and embracing her.

She didn't pull away for a while simply breathing in his scent while he was still here. After a while she was obliged to speak. "Hannon le, but you need to rest. The journey will be long and you're leaving very early." she said in a dreamy voice.

He couldn't dispute that truth although he would have preferred to stay with her all night and watch the sunrise. He kissed her forehead and bid her good night. Tauriel endured his gaze with much more perseverance than she thought she had.

Although Tauriel had expressed her wish to be awoken for bidding farewell to her friend, she knew that no one would take her seriously or bother to wake her up so she remained awake until dawn and fully dressed. She didn't feel like eating so she left the father and the son finish their morning meal by themselves.

The prince's escort and goodbye companies gathered in front of the gates so the elleth took her stance in the stables instead. He came soon enough only mildly surprised to see her there.

"I had a feeling you'd be here mellon." he forced a smile at her and did not fool her.

Tauriel preferred to speak as little as possible fearing that her voice would betray her at the last moment so she wrapped her arms around his waist instead. It gave her an excuse to hide her face and a tear or two which she couldn't stop. She wiped them away before he could notice.

His grip was bone crushing for a few moments longer. He released her for a short while in order to look at her properly. Tauriel barely managed to keep her emotions in check during this examination.

"Stay safe mellon. Try to avoid trouble as much as you possibly can. Laeorn will keep an eye on you." he kissed her forehead barely getting out the words.

Tauriel forced herself to speak: "You too have a safe journey and don't think about me unless thinking about me gives you pleasure. There will be a lot of new things to see where you're going." the words came out easily. Her right palm brushed across his cheek once more trying to memorize what it felt like while her left one remained on his cloak.

He looked down surprised only to find a small brooch shaped like a leaf resting on his chest. He vaguely remembered its shape from the past. "Isn't this?" he started to ask, but closed his mouth.

"It is. I brought it from Ergolan's village a few years ago. I wanted to give it to you since then, but the time never seemed right. If the things don't turn out the way you expect them to or if you need a friend one day, just remember that you have one waiting for you at home." she replied fixing his traveling cloak unnecessarily in order to keep her hands busy and have an excuse to look down.

Legolas closed his eyes for a moment and took her hand leading her outside. Only when they already reached the rest of the company did he let go and after embracing his father one last time, without any further delay, he climbed his horse.

Only now could Tauriel look at him properly. He looked like a prince, more than ever before. The gap between the two seemed to increase in the eyes of the elleth. It was like being painfully reminded of something she already knew.

They would soon disappear from sight for good. Tauriel followed them with her eyes as long as she could, but no one looked back until the very last moment. Legolas scrutinized his father than his friend before continuing on. Tauriel could do nothing, but watch as her best friend faded from her sight without knowing that things would never be the same again...

 _Elvish translations:  
Hannon le aran nin. Guren glassui. Le faul.- Thank you my king. Thank you from my heart. You are generous._

 _Goheno nin mellon - Forgive me my friend._


End file.
